The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word ABSORBED
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
A
B
S
O
R
B
E
D
More clues leading to the result ABSORBED
- Engrossed, lying down, eating fruit from tree
- Bad robes altered and taken up
- Consumed a British dessert cut by duke
- Soaked up six-pack, then got bored somehow
- Spellbound little brothers go upstairs, asleep?
- Took in a graduate for an alternative place to sleep
- Something Arabs or Bedouin have imbibed
- Sailor, to a great extent badly bred, becomes engaged
- Engrossed by choice between muscles and a teaching qualification
- Wrapped up sailor thus, right before bed
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "engaged" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case engaged = absorbed.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does ABSORBED mean?
ABSORBED verb- To include so that it no longer has separate existence; to overwhelm; to cause to disappear as if by swallowing up; to incorporate; to assimilate; to take in and use up.
- To engulf, as in water; to swallow up.
- To suck up; to drink in; to imbibe, like a sponge or as the lacteals of the body; to chemically take in.
- To take in energy and convert it, as
- To engross or engage wholly; to occupy fully
- To occupy or consume time.
- Assimilate mentally.
- To assume or pay for as part of a commercial transaction.
- To defray the costs.
- To accept or purchase in quantity.
- Fully occupied with one's thoughts; engrossed.
- Something that has been absorbed, taken in, engulfed, imbibed, or assimilated.