engrossed
/ɪnˈɡroʊst/
adjective
Origin
Old French
engrossir — to make large or thick
Overview
Meaning Now
- Having all one's attention or interest absorbed by something.
- Copied out in a clear, large hand, especially for legal documents.
Literal older meaning
written in large letters
Language path
Old French → Anglo-Norman → Middle English → English
Earliest form
engrosser
Earliest period
14th century
Journey
The term originally referred to the legal practice of writing deeds and formal documents in a distinct, large script ('gross') to ensure they were legible and official. This sense of 'making large' eventually evolved to include buying goods in bulk to monopolize a market, and finally, being so occupied by something that it 'takes up' one's entire mental focus.
Evolution
- 13th century Old French
en gros
“in bulk/wholesale”
Original adverbial phrase from 'en' (in) + 'gros' (large/gross).
- 14th century Anglo-Norman
engrosser
“to write out in a large hand”
Legal sense of preparing official documents.
- 15th century Middle English
engrossen
“to acquire in bulk or write in large characters”
- 17th century English
engrossed
“wholly occupied or absorbed”
Metaphorical shift from 'taking up all space' to 'taking up all attention'.
Connections
Word parts
en-
prefix
in/into
gross
root
large/thick
-ed
suffix
past participle marker
Related across languages
French
gros
large/thick
Italian
grosso
big/large
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Related to engrossed
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.