engage

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   To take part in something or get involved with it.

   Teachers try to get every student to engage in the discussion.

2. 2
   verb

   To attract and hold someone's attention or interest.

   The book engaged me from the very first page.

3. 3
   verb

   To employ or hire someone to do a job.

   They engaged a lawyer to handle the contract.

4. 4
   verb

   To make parts of a machine fit together and start working.

   Whenever I engage the clutch, the car stalls.

From Middle English engagen, from Old French engagier (“to pledge, engage”), from Frankish *anwadjōn (“to pledge”), from Proto-Germanic *an-, *andi- + Proto-Germanic *wadjōną (“to pledge, secure”), from Proto-Germanic *wadją (“pledge, guarantee”), from Proto-Indo-European *wedʰ- (“to pledge, redeem a pledge; guarantee, bail”), equivalent to en- + gage. Cognate with Old English anwedd (“pledge, security”), Old English weddian (“to engage, covenant, undertake”), German wetten (“to bet, wager”), Icelandic veðja (“to wager”). More at wed.

Topics