English Explanatory Dictionary

absorb

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. 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.
  2. To engulf, as in water; to swallow up.
  3. To suck up; to drink in; to imbibe, like a sponge or as the lacteals of the body; to chemically take in.
  4. To be absorbed, or sucked in; to sink in.
  5. To take in energy and convert it.
  6. in receiving a physical impact or vibration without recoil.
  7. in receiving sound energy without repercussion or echo.
  8. taking in radiant energy and converting it to a different form of energy, like heat.
  9. To engross or engage wholly; to occupy fully.
  10. To occupy or consume time.
  11. To assimilate mentally.
  12. To assume or pay for as part of a commercial transaction.

Pronunciation

/əbˈzɔːb/ /əbˈsɔːb/ /æbˈsɔɹb/ /æbˈzɔɹb/ /əbˈsɔɹb/ /əbˈzɔɹb/ En-us-absorb.ogg

Word forms

absorb absorbs absorbing absorbed absorpt no-table-tags glossary absorbest absorbedst absorbeth

Etymology

From Middle French absorber, from Old French assorbir, from Latin absorbeō (“swallow up”), from ab- (“from”) + sorbeō (“suck in, swallow”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *srebʰ- (“to sip”). Compare French absorber.

Synonyms

bear pay for take in assimilate engulf incorporate swallow up overwhelm draw drink in imbibe soak up sop up suck suck up steep take up engage engross immerse monopolize occupy use up assume eat

Antonyms

emit

Related words

adsorb

Derived words

absorbability absorbable absorbance absorbate absorbefacient absorbent absorb oneself in absorption absorptive bioabsorb misabsorb overabsorb preabsorb reabsorb X-ray absorbing glass

Translations

Arabic: اِتَّخَذَ Arabic: تَحَمَّلَ Arabic: قَاسَى Bulgarian: абсорбирам Catalan: absorbir Chinese Mandarin: 吸入 Chinese Mandarin: 忍耐 Dutch: absorberen Dutch: in zich opnemen Dutch: intrekken Dutch: ondergaan Estonian: neelduma Finnish: absorboida Finnish: imeä Finnish: kestää Finnish: sietää Georgian: შეწოვა German: absorbieren German: aushalten German: ertragen Hungarian: tompít Hungarian: csillapít Hungarian: felfog Hungarian: abszorbeál Hungarian: elnyel Hungarian: felszív Hungarian: beszív Hungarian: befog Italian: assorbire Norwegian: absorbere Norwegian: utholde Portuguese: absorver Russian: поглоща́ть Russian: поглоти́ть Russian: вбира́ть Russian: вобра́ть Russian: впи́тывать Russian: впита́ть Russian: абсорби́ровать Spanish: absorber Swedish: absorbera Swedish: uppta Thai: ดูดซับ Turkish: absorbe etmek Turkish: soğurmak Ukrainian: абсорбува́ти
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