entrance definition

1. The act of entering or going into; ingress; as, the entrance of a person into a house or an apartment; hence, the act of taking possession, as of property, or of office; as, the entrance of an heir upon his inheritance, or of a magistrate into office.

2. Liberty, power, or permission to enter; as, to give entrance to friends.

3. The passage, door, or gate, for entering. "Show us, we pray thee, the entrance into the city." (Judg. I. 24)

4. The entering upon; the beginning, or that with which the beginning is made; the commencement; initiation; as, a difficult entrance into business. "Beware of entrance to a quarrel." "St. Augustine, in the entrance of one of his discourses, makes a kind of apology." (Hakewill)

5. The causing to be entered upon a register, as a ship or goods, at a customhouse; an entering; as, his entrance of the arrival was made the same day.

6. The angle which the bow of a vessel makes with the water at the water line. The bow, or entire wedgelike forepart of a vessel, below the water line.

Origin: OF. Entrance, fr. OF. & F. Entrant, p. Pr. Of entrer to enter. See Enter.