Preoccupy

[priː'ɒkjʊpaɪ] or [pri'ɑkjə'pai]

Definition

(verb.) engage or engross the interest or attention of beforehand or occupy urgently or obsessively; 'His work preoccupies him'; 'The matter preoccupies her completely--she cannot think of anything else'.

(verb.) occupy or take possession of beforehand or before another or appropriate for use in advance; 'the army preoccupied the hills'.

Editor: Lois--From WordNet

Definition

(v. t.) To take possession of before another; as, to preoccupy a country not before held.

(v. t.) To prepossess; to engage, occupy, or engross the attention of, beforehand; hence, to prejudice.

Typist: Patricia

Definition

v.t. to occupy or take possession of beforehand: to fill beforehand or with prejudices.—ns. Prēoc′cupancy the act or the right of occupying beforehand; Prēoc′cupant a prior occupant.—v.t. Prēoc′cupāte (Bacon) to occupy before others.—n. Prēoccupā′tion.—adj. Prēoc′cupied already occupied: lost in thought abstracted.

Checker: Trent