Kilo Lingo

/ɪnˈɡeɪdʒ/

Line drawing of engage
Coloured illustration of engage
#1667 of 5,000 Core 5000

Translation

To take part in something and give it your attention; when two parts engage, they lock together and work as one.

Word origin

From French engager, to bind by a promise, from gage, a thing left as a pledge. The idea of being tied to something gave both the promise sense and the sense of parts locking together.

Origin
French
Root
engager
English cognates
gage, mortgage

Grammar

Verb typeregular (engage, engages, engaged)

Examples

.

To "engage" someone is to get them to take part.

.

Here "engage" means the parts lock together and move as one.

.

"Engaged" also means you have promised to marry someone.

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This word is part of lesson 34.