v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Engrossed p. pr. & vb. n. Engrossing. ] [ 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. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Waves . . . engrossed with mud. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

Not sleeping, to engross his idle body. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To amass. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

To engross up glorious deeds on my behalf. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

Some period long past, when clerks engrossed their stiff and formal chirography on more substantial materials. Hawthorne. [ 1913 Webster ]

Laws that may be engrossed on a finger nail. De Quincey. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To seize in the gross; to take the whole of; to occupy the attention completely; to absorb; as, the subject engrossed all his thoughts. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. One who copies a writing in large, fair characters. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. One who takes the whole; a person who purchases such quantities of articles in a market as to raise the price; a forestaller. Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. capable of holding the attention completely; very interesting.
Syn. -- absorbing, fascinating, gripping, riveting. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

n. 1. The act of engrossing; as, the engrossment of a deed. [ 1913 Webster ]

Engrossments of power and favor. Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. That which has been engrossed, as an instrument, legislative bill, goods, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Compar. Grosser superl. Grossest. ] [ F. gros, L. grossus, perh. fr. L. crassus thick, dense, fat, E. crass, cf. Skr. grathita tied together, wound up, hardened. Cf. Engross, Grocer, Grogram. ] 1. Great; large; bulky; fat; of huge size; excessively large. “A gross fat man.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

A gross body of horse under the Duke. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Coarse; rough; not fine or delicate. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Not easily aroused or excited; not sensitive in perception or feeling; dull; witless. [ 1913 Webster ]

Tell her of things that no gross ear can hear. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Expressing, or originating in, animal or sensual appetites; hence, coarse, vulgar, low, obscene, or impure. [ 1913 Webster ]

The terms which are delicate in one age become gross in the next. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Hence: Disgusting; repulsive; highly offensive; as, a gross remark. [ PJC ]

6. Thick; dense; not attenuated; as, a gross medium. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. Great; palpable; serious; vagrant; shameful; as, a gross mistake; gross injustice; gross negligence. [ 1913 Webster ]

8. Whole; entire; total; without deduction; as, the gross sum, or gross amount, the gross weight; -- opposed to net. [ 1913 Webster ]

Gross adventure (Law) the loan of money upon bottomry, i. e., on a mortgage of a ship. --
Gross average (Law), that kind of average which falls upon the gross or entire amount of ship, cargo, and freight; -- commonly called general average. Bouvier. Burrill. --
Gross receipts, the total of the receipts, before they are diminished by any deduction, as for expenses; -- distinguished from net profits. Abbott. --
Gross weight the total weight of merchandise or goods, without deduction for tare, tret, or waste; -- distinguished from neat weight, or net weight. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. gros (in sense 1), grosse (in sense 2). See Gross, a. ] 1. The main body; the chief part, bulk, or mass. “The gross of the enemy.” Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

For the gross of the people, they are considered as a mere herd of cattle. Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. sing. & pl. The number of twelve dozen; twelve times twelve; as, a gross of bottles; ten gross of pens. [ 1913 Webster ]

Advowson in gross (Law), an advowson belonging to a person, and not to a manor. --
A great gross, twelve gross; one hundred and forty-four dozen. --
By the gross, by the quantity; at wholesale. --
Common in gross. (Law) See under Common, n. --
In the gross,
In gross, in the bulk, or the undivided whole; all parts taken together. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) See Grosbeak. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Thick-skulled; stupid. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gross + L. ficare (in comp.) to make. See -fy. ] 1. The act of making gross or thick, or the state of becoming so. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Bot.) The swelling of the ovary of plants after fertilization. Henslow. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a gross manner; greatly; coarsely; without delicacy; shamefully; disgracefully. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state or quality of being gross; thickness; corpulence; coarseness; shamefulness. [ 1913 Webster ]

Abhor the swinish grossness that delights to wound the' ear of delicacy. Dr. T. Dwight. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ NL. grossularius, from Grossularia a subgenus of Ribes, including the gooseberry, fr. F. groseille. See Gooseberry. ] Pertaining too, or resembling, a gooseberry; as, grossular garnet. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Grossular, a. ] (Min.) A translucent garnet of a pale green color like that of the gooseberry; -- called also grossularite. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ NL. See Grossular. ] (Min.) Same as Grossular. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Grossular. ] (Chem.) A vegetable jelly, resembling pectin, found in gooseberries (Ribes Grossularia) and other fruits. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. See Engross. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Too gross. [ 1913 Webster ]