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absorb

[ ab-sawrb, -zawrb ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

verb (used with object)

to suck up or drink in (a liquid); soak up:
A sponge absorbs water.
to swallow up the identity or individuality of; incorporate:
The empire absorbed many small nations.
Synonyms: , , , ,
to involve the full attention of; to engross or engage wholly:
so absorbed in a book that he did not hear the bell.
to occupy or fill:
This job absorbs all of my time.
to take up or receive by chemical or molecular action:
Carbonic acid is formed when water absorbs carbon dioxide.
to take in without echo, recoil, or reflection:
to absorb sound and light; to absorb shock.
to take in and utilize:
The market absorbed all the computers we could build. Can your brain absorb all this information?
to pay for (costs, taxes, etc.):
The company will absorb all the research costs.
Archaic. to swallow up.

absorb

/ əbˈsɔːb; -ˈzɔːb /

to soak or suck up (liquids)
to engage or occupy (the interest, attention, or time) of (someone); engross
to receive or take in (the energy of an impact)
physics to take in (all or part of incident radiated energy) and retain the part that is not reflected or transmitted
to take in or assimilate; incorporate
to accept and find a market for (goods, etc)
to pay for as part of a commercial transaction
the distributor absorbed the cost of transport
chem to cause to undergo a process in which one substance, usually a liquid or gas, permeates into or is dissolved by a liquid or solid Compare adsorb
hydrochloric acid absorbs carbon dioxide
porous solids absorb water

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Origin of absorb¹

First recorded in 1480–90; from Latin ��ǰ��ŧ��, from ab- ab- + ��ǰ��ŧ�� “to suck in, swallow”

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Origin of absorb¹

C15: via Old French from Latin ab��ǰ��ŧ�� to suck, swallow, from ab- ¹+ ��ǰ��ŧ�� to suck

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Examples have not been reviewed.

Many plants absorb the toxin into their tissues, which makes it dangerous to eat root vegetables or leafy greens growing in lead-laced soil.

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China is the world's second-largest economy, which means it can absorb the impacts of the tariffs better than other smaller countries.

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Emma is adamant Terry's hand saved her life as well, absorbing the brunt of the point-blank blast.

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The audience is unfamiliar with most of the songs, and no-one's sure whether to absorb the performance attentively, or sing along and dance.

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SeaCURE processes the seawater to remove the carbon before pumping it back out to sea where it absorbs more CO2.

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