• vt. 吸引，占用；使参加；雇佣；使订婚；预定
• vi. 从事；答应，保证；交战；啮合

en-, 进入，使。-gage, 承诺，加入，词源同wage, wedding. 词义由承诺向多方面扩展。

engage

engage: [15] Vulgar Latin had a noun *wadium ‘pledge’ (it came from Germanic *wathjam, source also of English wed and wage). From it was derived a verb *wadiāre ‘pledge’, which formed the basis of a compound *inwadiāre. Germanic w became g in French (hence French Guillaume for William), so the Old French descendant of *inwadiāre was engager, acquired by English as engage. (The superficially similar gauge [15] is probably not related, although it is not known for certain what its ultimate source is.)
=> wage, wed

engage (v.)

early 15c., "to pledge" (something, as security for payment), from Old French engagier "bind (by promise or oath), pledge; pawn" (12c.), from phrase en gage "under pledge," from en "in" (see en- (1)) + gage "pledge," through Frankish from Proto-Germanic *wadiare "pledge" (see wed). It shows the common evolution of Germanic -w- to central French -g- (see gu-). Meaning "attract and occupy the attention of" is from 1640s; that of "employ, secure for aid, employment or use" is from 1640s, from notion of "binding as by a pledge;" meaning "enter into combat or contest with" is from 1640s. Specific sense of "promise to marry" is 1610s (implied in engaged). Machinery sense is from 1884. Also from the French word are German engagiren, Dutch engageren, Danish engagere.

1. You can engage in croquet on the south lawn.

你可以参加南边草坪上的槌球游戏。

来自柯林斯例句

2. Press the lever until you hear the catch engage.

压下挡杆，直到听到挡挂好。

来自柯林斯例句

3. They never learned skills to engage the attention of the others.

他们从未学过吸引他人注意的技巧。

来自柯林斯例句

4. Industry leaders want scientists to engage in fundamental research, not applied research.

行业领袖希望科学家从事基础性研究，而非应用性研究。

来自柯林斯例句

5. She found it hard to engage with office life.

她发现很难适应办公室生活。

来自柯林斯例句