engorge

verb

en·​gorge in-ˈgȯrj How to pronounce engorge (audio)
en-
engorged; engorging; engorges

transitive verb

: gorge entry 1, glut
especially : to fill with blood to the point of congestion

intransitive verb

: to suck blood to the limit of body capacity
engorgement noun

Examples of engorge in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Crime gangs engorged by illicit profit think nothing of knocking out hospitals and sending desperate patients elsewhere. Joseph Menn, Washington Post, 27 July 2024 The more your baby nurses, the more milk is produced, optimally at just the right level to keep your baby full but not engorge your breasts. Donna Murray, Rn, Parents, 22 July 2024 And, of course, the eruption of a runaway AI capital-investment boom almost the moment stocks bottomed and inflation peaked in late 2022 has engorged the big-cap growth segment of the market, compensating for an abundance of weakness elsewhere. Michael Santoli, CNBC, 13 July 2024 In another chapter, Laing demonstrates how the economics of slavery in the United States engorged the estates of already wealthy British families. Naomi Huffman, The Atlantic, 10 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for engorge 

Word History

Etymology

Middle French engorgier, from Old French, to devour, from en- + gorge throat — more at gorge

First Known Use

1515, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of engorge was in 1515

Dictionary Entries Near engorge

Cite this Entry

“Engorge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/engorge. Accessed 20 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

engorge

verb
en·​gorge in-ˈgȯ(ə)rj How to pronounce engorge (audio)
1
: to eat greedily : gorge
2
: to fill with blood : congest
engorgement noun

Medical Definition

engorge

verb
en·​gorge in-ˈgȯ(ə)rj How to pronounce engorge (audio)
engorged; engorging

transitive verb

: to fill with blood to the point of congestion
the gastric mucosa was greatly engorged

intransitive verb

: to suck blood to the limit of body capacity
unconscious of the dog tick engorging on his right ankleJohn Barth
engorgement noun
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