en·rap·ture (in-ˈrap-chər), verb
1: to fill with rapture or delight
Examples of ENRAPTURE
- Her melodious voice enraptured the audience.
- <enraptured upon learning that he would be attending college on a full sports scholarship>
First Known Use of ENRAPTURE
1740
Related to ENRAPTURE
Antonyms: depress
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Check out the dark etymology of this nest of Latin words – rapto, raptare (verb) = to seize and carry away, rob, plunder; raptio (noun) = abduct; raptor (another horrible noun) = robber, plunderer; raptus = tearing off, rape, abduction, plunder. The en- prefix is French, I suspect, as in enamour etc. It is great, on the other hand, that rapture, the word that grew from all this horror, is something that, while it still means taken over or possessed of, has reversed its polarity so it means, as you say, delight. How did that happen I wonder..
Hmm…there is more. I just went to check – rapt from the same family, in medieval times had also the sense of a seizing by religious fervour and vision etc. So there is the link….Sorry, forgive me. I love words, and if this is too silly, and over the top, just delete it!
Now you’ve done it. Mark appreciation AND a love of vocabulary/word origins … wanna be my best friend?
Sure – out here in blogspace anything seems possible! And yes I love words….Friendship seems especially possible – friends then!