engorge

[ en-gawrj ]

verb (used with or without object)

, en·gorged, en·gorg·ing.

1. to swallow greedily; glut or gorge:

   The fish love to follow the boat and engorge on bait.

2. to congest or swell with a bodily fluid, as milk ducts in the breast or blood vessels in a part of the body:

   As these blood vessels engorge, they put pressure on a large cranial nerve.

   Your breasts may become painfully engorged if the baby does not feed properly.

3. to swell with any fluid:

   The Yellow River becomes engorged during the summer monsoon season.

4. to overfill or oversupply with anything:

   It seems that the market is already so engorged, it just can’t absorb any more tech right now.

engorge

/ ɪnˈɡɔːdʒ /

verb

1. pathol to congest with blood
2. to eat (food) ravenously or greedily
3. to gorge (oneself); glut; satiate

Derived Forms

• enˈgorgement, noun

Other Words From

• en·gorge·ment noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of engorge¹

From the Middle French word engorger, dating back to 1505–15. See en- ¹, gorge ¹

Example Sentences

Coastal bears engorge themselves on salmon runs and then disperse marine nutrients in measurable quantities.

From Seattle Times

Tropical Storm Hilary engorged the waterway, usually just a dawdling stream during the summer, widening its banks from 15 to 100 feet.

From Los Angeles Times

The possibility that torrents of water will run down mountain slopes, engorge waterways, and flood streets and communities, means residents should pay attention to their local weather sources and alerts.

From Scientific American

If an “engorged” female arrived in Washington and laid eggs, it could establish a population in the region “and it would be happy,” she said.

From Seattle Times

Khan's appearance came just two days after the FTC suffered a courtroom setback in its attempt to rein in engorged market titan Microsoft.

From Salon