ENGROSSING
absorbing, engrossing, fascinating, gripping, riveting
(adjective) capable of arousing and holding the attention; “a fascinating story”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Verb
engrossing
present participle of engross
Adjective
engrossing (comparative more engrossing, superlative most engrossing)
Utterly consuming one's time and attention.
Synonyms
• absorbing
• fascinating
Noun
engrossing (plural engrossings)
The act of one who engrosses, or buys up wholesale.
Anagrams
• grossening
Source: Wiktionary
ENGROSS
En*gross", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Engrossed; p. pr. & vb. n.
Engrossing.] Etym: [F., fr. pref. en- (L. in) + gros gross, grosse,
n., an engrossed document: cf. OF. engrossir, engroissier, to make
thick, large, or gross. See Gross.]
1. To make gross, thick, or large; to thicken; to increase in bulk or
quantity. [Obs.]
Waves . . . engrossed with mud. Spenser.
Not sleeping, to engross his idle body. Shak.
2. To amass. [Obs.]
To engross up glorious deeds on my behalf. Shak.
3. To copy or write in a large hand (en gross, i. e., in large); to
write a fair copy of in distinct and legible characters; as, to
engross a deed or like instrument on parchment.
Some period long past, when clerks engrossed their stiff and formal
chirography on more substantial materials. Hawthorne.
Laws that may be engrossed on a finger nail. De Quincey.
4. To seize in the gross; to take the whole of; to occupy wholly; to
absorb; as, the subject engrossed all his thoughts.
5. To purchase either the whole or large quantities of, for the
purpose of enhancing the price and making a profit; hence, to take or
assume in undue quantity, proportion, or degree; as, to engross
commodities in market; to engross power. Engrossed bill
(Legislation), one which has been plainly engrossed on parchment,
with all its amendments, preparatory to final action on its passage.
– Engrossing hand (Penmanship), a fair, round style of writing
suitable for engrossing legal documents, legislative bills, etc.
Syn.
– To absorb; swallow up; imbibe; consume; exhaust; occupy;
forestall; monopolize. See Absorb.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition