[f. ENGROSS v. + -ING1.] The action of the verb ENGROSS.
1. The action of buying (any article) in large quantities with the view of obtaining a monopoly; the action of buying up (land).
1542. Brinklow, Compl., ii. 10. The latyng and engrossing of … leassys.
1647. Clarendon, Hist. Reb. (1702), I. IV. 250. The ingrossing Gunpowder, and suffering none to buy it without Licence.
1683. Burnet, trans. More’s Utopia, 25. Restrain those engrossings of the Rich, that are as bad almost as Monopolies.
1776. Adam Smith, W. N., I. III. ii. 386. This original engrossing or uncultivated lands.
b. fig. (See ENGROSS v. 4, 5.)
1597. Daniel, Civ. Wares, V. lxxii. Griev’d at such ingrossing of Command.
1625. Bacon, Ess. Envy (Arb.), 514. An vnnecessary, and Ambitious Ingrossing of Businesse.
1694. Child, Disc. Trade, 37. The abatement of Interest tends to the engrossing of Trade into a few rich mens hands.
2. The action of writing out a document in a fair or legal character. Also attrib.
1483. Act 1 Rich. III., c. 7 § 1. After the engrossing of every Fine … the same Fine shall be openly and solemnly read.
1583. Golding, Calvin on Deut., Pref. 5. The gathering of these sermons, & to the ingrosing of them faire againe afterward.
1765. Blackstone, Comm., I. 183. It … passes through the same forms as in the other house (except engrossing, which is already done).
1837. Lockhart, Scott (1839), I. 196. A sort of flourish … adopted in engrossing as a safeguard against the intrusion of a forged line.
1875. Stubbs, Const. Hist., III. xviii. 262. The enrolment and engrossing of the acts of parliament.
attrib. 1709. Steele, Tatler, No. 26, ¶ 4. All Ingrossing Work … is risen 3s. in the Pound for want of Hands.
Mod. It was written in a sort of engrossing hand.
