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engross

 - 4 dictionary results

en⋅gross

  [en-grohs]
Use engross in a Sentence
–verb (used with object)
1. to occupy completely, as the mind or attention; absorb: Their discussion engrossed his attention. She is engrossed in her work.
2. 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.
3. to acquire the whole of (a commodity), in order to control the market; monopolize.
Origin:
1275–1325; ME engros(s)en to gather in large quantities, draft (a will, etc.) in final form < AF engrosser, partly < ML ingrossāre to thicken, write large and thick (L in- in- 2 + gross(us) thick + -āre inf. suffix); partly < AF, MF en gros in quantity, wholesale < L in + grossus; see gross

Related forms:
en⋅gross⋅ed⋅ly  [en-groh-sid-lee, -grohst-] , adverb
en⋅gross⋅er, noun

Synonyms:
1. involve, immerse, engage.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To engross
en·gross   (ěn-grōs')   
tr.v.   en·grossed, en·gross·ing, en·gross·es

  1. To occupy exclusively; absorb: A great novel engrosses the reader. See Synonyms at monopolize.

  2. To acquire most or all of (a commodity); monopolize (a market).

    1. To write or transcribe in a large, clear hand.

    2. To write or print the final draft of (an official document).


[Middle English engrossen, to collect in large quantity, monopolize, from Old French engrossier, from en gros, in large quantity : en, in (from Latin in; see in-2) + gros, large; see gross. Sense 3, from Middle English engrossen, to make a finished copy of a legal document, from Anglo-Norman engrosser, from Medieval Latin ingrossāre : Latin in-, in; see en-1 + grossa, a copy in a large hand (from Late Latin grossus, thick).]
en·gross'er n., en·gross'ment n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

engross 
c.1304, from O.Fr. en gros "in bulk, in a large quantity, at wholesale," as opposed to en detail. Figurative sense of "absorb the whole attention" is first attested 1709. A parallel engross, meaning "to write (something) in large letters," is from Anglo-Fr. engrosser, from O.Fr. en gros "in large (letters)."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: en·gross
Pronunciation: in-'grOs
Function: transitive verb
Etymology: Anglo-French engrosser to put (a legal document) in final form, from Medieval Latin ingrossare, from in grossam (put) into final form, literally, (written) in large (letter)
: to prepare the usually final handwritten or printed text of (as a bill or resolution) esp. for final passage or approval engrossed —Congressional Record> —see also engrossed bill at BILL 1 —compare ENROLL
NOTE: A bill or resolution is engrossed in the Congress and some state legislatures before its third reading and final passage by one of the legislative houses. —en·gross·ment noun
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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