so lost in thought that one does not realize what one is doing, what is happening, etc.; preoccupied to the extent of being unaware of one's immediate surroundings.
by Snowbaby January 06, 2014
The very intelligent are sometimes preoccupied with weighty matters (as they suppose) insomuch that they forget about more prosaic matters -- such as remembering keys, wallet, phone, appointments, etc.
The teacher showed up in class, on time -- but forgot it was Tuesday, not Wednesday -- and was halfway through the lecture before the absent-minded professor realized he was teaching the wrong subject matter. On the plus side, I understand Einstein's Theory of Relativity a lot better than I did. I hope it shows up on our Physical Science 101 exams...
by 1ightsaber June 08, 2021