Origin and history of preoccupied

c. 1300; "wasted, ruined, spent in vain," c. 1500; also "no longer to be found, gone astray" (1520s), past-participle adjectives from lose. Meaning "spiritually ruined, inaccessible to good influence" is from 1640s. Related: Lostness. Of battles, games, etc. in which one has been

The morbid sense of "preoccupied with one's own personality, conscious of oneself as an object of observation to others"...

English had airmonger "one preoccupied with visionary projects")....

"to come up to, catch up with, catch in pursuit," early 13c., from over- + take (v.). According to OED (1989), originally "the running down and catching of a fugitive or beast of chase"; the editors find the sense of over- in this word "not so clear." The meaning "take by surpris

late 14c., "hollow at the base of the throat above the breastbone," from Old French esclot "hoofprint of a deer or horse," a word of uncertain origin, perhaps from Old Norse sloð "trail" (see sleuth). The anatomical sense is found in romances and in reference to wounds or blows;

early 13c., "to practice habitually, busy oneself with, take part in," from Old French hanter "to frequent, visit regularly; have to do with, be familiar with; indulge in, cultivate" (12c.), of uncertain origin, perhaps from Old Norse heimta "bring home," from Proto-Germanic *hai

early 15c., "to arrogate, take upon oneself," from Latin assumere, adsumere "to take up, take to oneself, take besides, obtain in addition," from ad "to, toward, up to" (see ad-) + sumere "to take," from sub "under" (see sub-) + emere "to take" (from PIE root *em- "to take, distr

mid-13c., seisen, "take possession, take possession of" (land, goods, etc.) by force or authority, from Old French seisir "to take possession of, take by force; put in possession of, bestow upon" (Modern French saisir), from Late Latin sacire (8c.), which generally is held to be

"claim or demand presumptuously," 1530s, from Latin arrogatus, past participle of arrogare "to claim for oneself," from assimilated form of ad "to" (see ad-) + rogare "to ask, to propose (a law, a candidate); to ask a favor, entreat, request," apparently a figurative use of a PIE

c. 1500, "to besiege" (a sense now obsolete), from Latin obsessus, past participle of obsidere "watch closely; besiege, occupy; stay, remain, abide" literally "sit opposite to," from ob "against" (see ob-) + sedere "to sit," from PIE root *sed- (1) "to sit." Of evil spirits, "to