engross

[ en-grohs ]

See synonyms for: engross engrossed engrossing on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)

to occupy completely, as the mind or attention; absorb: Their discussion engrossed his attention.She is engrossed in her work.
to write or copy in a clear, attractive, large script or in a formal manner, as a public document or record: to engross a deed.

to acquire the whole of (a commodity), in order to control the market; monopolize.

Origin of engross

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English engros(s)en “to gather in large quantities, draft (a will, etc.) in final form,” from Anglo-French engrosser, partly from Medieval Latin ingrossāre “to thicken, write large and thick” (Latin in- in-² + gross(us) “thick” + -āre infinitive suffix); partly from Anglo-French, Middle French en gros “in quantity, wholesale,” from Latin in + grossus; see gross

Other words for engross

1	involve, immerse, engage

See synonyms for engross on Thesaurus.com

Other words from engross

en·gross·er, noun
re·en·gross, verb (used with object)

Words Nearby engross

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use engross in a sentence

The smaller partner should have this capability because actual breakout will most probably occur when the US is engrossed with a crisis elsewhere, be it Venezuela, the South China Sea islands, Taiwan, Ukraine or an interregnum.
Ehud Barak: Iran Can Transform Itself into a Nuclear Power—And It's Too Late to Stop It By Surgical Attack | Ehud Barak | July 25, 2022 | Time
Never in recent history has the world been so engrossed by the most mundane stages of the scientific process.
The top 10 health and medicine breakthroughs of 2021 | Claire Maldarelli and Rebecca Sohn | December 1, 2021 | Popular-Science
A 2018 study suggested that mindfulness can help elite athletes achieve a flow state, the zone where body and mind are in sync and engrossed in the action being performed.
Why Running Brands Are Betting on Mindfulness | syadron | September 10, 2021 | Outside Online
She became engrossed in whether mother trees recognize their offspring in forest networks when she became a mother of two daughters.
A scientist’s career in communion with trees | Kate Brown | May 21, 2021 | Washington Post
She rejects reductive analyses for a rich debate that will engross any avid reader.
The Best Podcasts of 2021 So Far | Eliana Dockterman | May 20, 2021 | Time

The highest themes which can elevate or engross the mind of man claimed her profound and delighted reveries.
Madame Roland, Makers of History | John S. C. Abbott
I stumbled to her side, half-blinded, stood looking down at the scene which seemed to engross her.
Valley of the Croen | Lee Tarbell
Besides, the immediate pressure of our adventurer's own affairs was such as exclusively to engross his attention.
The Fortunes of Nigel | Sir Walter Scott
I do not think that I am less impatient now than formerly to repossess—to entirely engross—my own treasured love.
The Life and Letters of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, Volume I (of 2) | Florence A. Thomas Marshall
The interests of a moment engross and captivate the passions, and kindle ardours which burn with incessant vigour.
Female Scripture Biographies, Vol. I | Francis Augustus Cox

British Dictionary definitions for engross

engross

/ (ɪnˈɡrəʊs) /

verb(tr)

to occupy one's attention completely; absorb
to write or copy (manuscript) in large legible handwriting

law to write or type out formally (a deed, agreement, or other document) preparatory to execution
another word for corner (def. 21b)

Origin of engross

C14 (in the sense: to buy up wholesale): from Old French en gros in quantity; C15 (in the sense: to write in large letters): probably from Medieval Latin ingrossāre; both from Latin grossus thick, gross

Derived forms of engross

engrossed, adjective
engrossedly (ɪnˈɡrəʊsɪdlɪ), adverb
engrosser, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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