[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

engage \engage"\, v. i.
   1. to promise or pledge one's self; to enter into an
      obligation; to become bound; to warrant.
      1913 webster

            how proper the remedy for the malady, i engage not.
                                                  --fuller.
      1913 webster

   2. to embark in a business; to take a part; to employ or
      involve one's self; to devote attention and effort; to
      enlist; as, to engage in controversy.
      1913 webster

   3. to enter into conflict; to join battle; as, the armies
      engaged in a general battle.
      1913 webster

   4. mach. to be in gear, as two cogwheels working together.
      1913 webster

[2] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

engage \engage"\, v. t. imp.  p. p. engaged; p. pr.  vb.
   n. engaging. f. engager; pref. en- l. in + gage pledge,
   pawn. see gage.
   1. to put under pledge; to pledge; to place under obligations
      to do or forbear doing something, as by a pledge, oath, or
      promise; to bind by contract or promise. "i to thee
      engaged a prince's word." --shak.
      1913 webster

   2. to gain for service; to bring in as associate or aid; to
      enlist; as, to engage friends to aid in a cause; to engage
      men for service.
      1913 webster

   3. to gain over; to win and attach; to attract and hold; to
      draw.
      1913 webster

            good nature engages everybody to him. --addison.
      1913 webster

   4. to employ the attention and efforts of; to occupy; to
      engross; to draw on.
      1913 webster

            thus shall mankind his guardian care engage. --pope.
      1913 webster

            taking upon himself the difficult task of engaging
            him in conversation.                  --hawthorne.
      1913 webster

   5. to enter into contest with; to encounter; to bring to
      conflict.
      1913 webster

            a favorable opportunity of engaging the enemy.
                                                  --ludlow.
      1913 webster

   6. mach. to come into gear with; as, the teeth of one
      cogwheel engage those of another, or one part of a clutch
      engages the other part.
      1913 webster
see also:
engaged engaging gage 

[3] : WordNet (r) 2.0

engage
     v 1: carry out or participate in an activity; be involved in;
          "she pursued many activities"; "they engaged in a
          discussion" syn: prosecute, pursue
     2: engage or engross wholly; "her interest in butterflies
        absorbs her completely" syn: absorb, engross, occupy
     3: engage or hire for work; "they hired two new secretaries in
        the department"; "how many people has she employed?" syn:
         hire, employ ant: fire
     4: ask to represent; of legal counsel; "i'm retaining a lawyer"
     5: give to in marriage syn: betroth, affiance, plight
     6: get caught; "make sure the gear is engaged" ant: disengage
     7: as of wars, battles, or campaigns; "napoleon and hitler
        waged war against all of europe" syn: wage
     8: as of aid, help, services, or support syn: enlist
     9: engage for service under a term of contract; "we took an
        apartment on a quiet street"; "let's rent a car"; "shall
        we take a guide in rome?" syn: lease, rent, hire, charter,
         take
     10: keep engaged; "engaged the gears" syn: mesh, lock, operate
         ant: disengage
see also:
prosecute pursue absorb engross occupy hire 
employ fire betroth affiance plight 
disengage wage enlist lease rent 
charter take mesh lock operate 

[4] : Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

189 moby thesaurus words for "engage":
   absorb, absorb the attention, accept obligation, affiance, agree,
   agree to, answer for, appeal, approach, arrest, assault, assay,
   attack, attempt, attend to business, attract, bargain, bargain for,
   battle, be answerable for, be attractive, be responsible for,
   be security for, beckon, become engaged, bespeak, betroth, bind,
   book, brief, bring, busy, captivate, capture, carry, catch,
   catch up in, chance, charm, clash with, coact, combat, commit,
   compact, concern, contract, contract an engagement, contract for,
   cooperate, covenant, decide, determine, devote, dispose, do a deal,
   do battle, dovetail, draw, draw in, embark on, embarrass, employ,
   enchant, encounter, engage in, engage in battle,
   engage the attention, engage the mind, engage the thoughts,
   engross, engross the mind, engross the thoughts, enlist, enmesh,
   entangle, enter into, enthrall, essay, exercise, face, fascinate,
   fetch, fight, get to do, give battle, go bail for, grab,
   grapple with, grip, guarantee, have an understanding, hire, hold,
   hold spellbound, hold the interest, hypnotize, imbue, immerse,
   implicate, incline, indenture, induce, influence, interact,
   interchange, interest, interest in, interlace, interlock,
   intermesh, interplay, intertwine, interweave, interwork, invite,
   involve, involve the interest, join battle, join battle with,
   join issue, lead, lift a finger, lure, make a deal,
   make an attempt, make an effort, meet, mesh, mesmerize,
   mind the store, monopolize, mortise, obligate, obsess, occupy,
   occupy the attention, offer, partake in, participate in, pass,
   pass the time, pledge, plight, preengage, preoccupy, procure,
   promise, prompt, publish the banns, put on, recruit, rent, reserve,
   retain, secure, shake hands on, sign on, sign up, sign up for,
   soak, spellbind, spend, spend the time, stipulate, strike,
   suck into, summon, sway, take into employment, take on,
   take part in, take the vows, take up, tangle, tantalize, tease,
   tempt, tickle, tie, tie up, titillate, troth, try, try conclusions,
   undertake, venture, venture on, venture upon, whet the appetite

Engage >> E Words
Engage, definition of term: Engage
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