Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Engage \En*gage"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Engaged}; p. pr. & vb.
   n. {Engaging}.] [F. engager; pref. en- (L. in) + gage pledge,
   pawn. See {Gage}.]
   1. To put under pledge; to pledge; to place under obligations
      to do or forbear doing something, as by a pledge, oath, or
      promise; to bind by contract or promise. ``I to thee
      engaged a prince's word.'' --Shak.

   2. To gain for service; to bring in as associate or aid; to
      enlist; as, to engage friends to aid in a cause; to engage
      men for service.

   3. To gain over; to win and attach; to attract and hold; to
      draw.

            Good nature engages everybody to him. --Addison.

   4. To employ the attention and efforts of; to occupy; to
      engross; to draw on.

            Thus shall mankind his guardian care engage. --Pope.

            Taking upon himself the difficult task of engaging
            him in conversation.                  --Hawthorne.

   5. To enter into contest with; to encounter; to bring to
      conflict.

            A favorable opportunity of engaging the enemy.
                                                  --Ludlow.

   6. (Mach.) To come into gear with; as, the teeth of one
      cogwheel engage those of another, or one part of a clutch
      engages the other part.

Engaged \En*gaged"\, a.
   1. Occupied; employed; busy.

   2. Pledged; promised; especially, having the affections
      pledged; promised in marriage; affianced; betrothed.

   3. Greatly interested; of awakened zeal; earnest.

   4. Involved; esp., involved in a hostile encounter; as, the
      engaged ships continued the fight.

   {Engaged column}. (Arch.) Same as {Attached column}. See
      under {Attach}, v. t.

Source : WordNet®

engaged
     adj 1: having ones attention or mind or energy engaged; "she keeps
            herself fully occupied with volunteer activities";
            "deeply engaged in conversation" [syn: {occupied}]
     2: involved in military hostilities; "the desperately engaged
        ships continued the fight"
     3: reserved in advance [syn: {booked}, {set-aside(p)}]
     4: (of facilities such as telephones or lavatories) unavailable
        for use by anyone else or indicating unavailability;
        (`engaged' is a British term for a busy telephone line);
        "her line is busy"; "receptionists' telephones are always
        engaged"; "the lavatory is in use"; "kept getting a busy
        signal" [syn: {busy}, {in use(p)}]
     5: (used of toothed parts or gears) interlocked and
        interacting; "the gears are engaged"; "meshed gears";
        "intermeshed twin rotors" [syn: {meshed}, {intermeshed}]
     6: having services contracted for; "the carpenter engaged (or
        employed) for the job is sick"
     7: built against or attached to a wall; "engaged columns"
     8: pledged to be married; "the engaged couple" [syn: {affianced},
         {bespoken}, {betrothed}, {pledged}]