engross
[ en-grohs ]
/ ɛnˈgroʊs /
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.
RELATED WORDS
bewitch, immerse, enthrall, captivate, preoccupy, enrapture, fascinate, grip, hog, engage, consume, soak, arrest, assimilate, absorb, involve, occupy, busy, engulf, corner
Nearby words
- engraved,
- engraver,
- engraver beetle,
- engraver's trick,
- engraving,
- engrossed,
- engrossed bill,
- engrossing,
- engrossment,
- engulf
Origin of engross
1275–1325; Middle English engros(s)en to gather in large quantities, draft (a will, etc.) in final form < Anglo-French engrosser, partly < Medieval Latin ingrossāre to thicken, write large and thick (Latin in- in-2 + gross(us) thick + -āre infinitive suffix); partly < Anglo-French, Middle French en gros in quantity, wholesale < Latin in + grossus; see gross
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web 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)
Word Origin for 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
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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engross
c.1400, "to buy up the whole stock of" (in Anglo-French from c.1300), from Old French en gros "in bulk, in a large quantity, at wholesale," as opposed to en detail. See gross.
Figurative sense of "absorb the whole attention" is first attested 1709. A parallel engross, meaning "to write (something) in large letters," is from Anglo-French engrosser, from Old French en gros "in large (letters)." Related: Engrossed; engrossing.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper