c. 1300, "act or fact of physically entering; place of entrance, means of entering a building; opportunity or right of entering; initiation or beginning of an action;" from Old French entree "entry, entrance" (12c.), noun use of fem. past participle of entrer "to enter" (see enter). Meaning "that which is entered or set down (in a book, list, etc.)" is from c. 1500.