regale

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The Word of the Day for June 18 is:

regale   \rih-GAIL\   verb
     transitive senses 
     1 : to entertain sumptuously : feast with delicacies
    *2 : to give pleasure or amusement to  
     intransitive sense 
     : to feast oneself : feed

Example sentence:
     We often stopped to visit our neighbor, knowing the 
garrulous man would regale us with hilarious tales of his 
boyhood adventures.

Did you know?
     "Regale" has been a verb since at least 1656; it was 
adapted from the French "regaler," which has the same meaning 
as "regale." The French verb goes back to Middle French "galer," 
which means "to have a good time," and to Old French "gale," 
meaning "pleasure." ("Gala," meaning  "a festive celebration," 
is from the same source.) "Regale" also has a history as a noun 
meaning "a sumptuous feast." That use dates back to at least 
1670, when someone penned the following notice for 
posterity: "My Lord Duke will not be able to get away 
yet . . . , all the regales that are intended for him not being 
yet at an end."  (The lord referred to is the Duke of Buccleuch, 
whose regales ended once and for all 15 years later when he was 
beheaded.)

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.