PREOCCUPY • E-FREE TRANSLATION.COM • Definition of Preoccupy

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verb

Preoccupy v. t. (past & past part. preoccupied; pres. part. preoccupying)

To take possession of before another; as, to preoccupy a country not before held.

To prepossess; to engage, occupy, or engross the attention of, beforehand; hence, to prejudice. "I Think it more respectful to the reader to leave something to reflections than to preoccupy his judgment."

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Etymology of 'Preoccupy'

Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48

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"Preoccupy" Quotes from Famous Books

... went on to explain that his tutor had last year relinquished his post, that his father was advanced in years and afflicted with disease, and had multifarious public duties to preoccupy his mind, so that he had as yet had no time to make arrangements for another tutor, and that all he did was no more than to keep up his old tasks; that as regards study, it was likewise necessary to have the company of ...

— Hung Lou Meng, Book I • Cao Xueqin

... Eleanor bethought herself that, as Mr. Slope had taken his departure, there no longer existed any necessity for separating Mr. Stanhope from his sister Madeline, who so much needed his aid. It had been arranged that he should remain so as to preoccupy Mr. Slope's place in the carriage, and act as a social policeman to effect the exclusion of that disagreeable gentleman. But Mr. Slope had effected his own exclusion, and there was no possible reason now why Bertie should not go with his sister—at ...

— Barchester Towers • Anthony Trollope

Words linked to "Preoccupy" : usurp, prepossess, preoccupancy, control, preoccupation, command, arrogate, ghost, haunt, obsess, assume, seize, take over