absorb

[ ab-sawrb, -zawrb ]

/ æbˈsɔrb, -ˈzɔrb /

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.

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.

Origin of absorb

1480–90; < Latin absorbēre, equivalent to ab- ab- + sorbēre to suck in, swallow

SYNONYMS FOR absorb

2 assimilate, consume, devour, engulf; destroy.

OTHER WORDS FROM absorb

ab·sorb·a·ble, adjective ab·sorb·a·bil·i·ty, noun non·ab·sorb·a·bil·i·ty, noun non·ab·sorb·a·ble, adjective

o·ver·ab·sorb, verb (used with object) pre·ab·sorb, verb re·ab·sorb, verb (used with object) un·ab·sorb·a·ble, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH absorb

absorb adsorb

Words nearby absorb

absolutive, absolutize, absolutory, absolve, absonant, absorb, absorbable gelatin film, absorbable suture, absorbance, absorbed, absorbed dose

Example sentences from the Web for reabsorb

Alone, here, he can reabsorb and even prevent the demoniacal accidents which arise in cloisters.

En Route |J.-K. (Joris-Karl) Huysmans
Where are we to find the means to abolish and reabsorb the evil?

A New Philosophy: Henri Bergson |Edouard le Roy
Scarcely any industry can grow fast enough to reabsorb into skilled or semi-skilled positions the displaced workmen.

The Old World in the New |Edward Alsworth Ross
The expansion of the industry will create some good jobs, but not enough to reabsorb the Americans displaced.

The Old World in the New |Edward Alsworth Ross

It will, however, reabsorb some moisture from the air, when exposed to it.

Handwork in Wood |William Noyes

British Dictionary definitions for reabsorb

absorb

/ (əbˈsɔːb, -ˈzɔːb) /

verb (tr)

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 porous solids absorb water; hydrochloric acid absorbs carbon dioxide Compare adsorb

Derived forms of absorb

absorbability, noun absorbable, adjective

Word Origin for absorb

C15: via Old French from Latin absorbēre to suck, swallow, from ab- 1 + sorbēre to suck

Medical definitions for reabsorb

absorb

[ əb-zôrb′ ]

v.

To take in by absorption.

To reduce the intensity of transmitted light.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

absorb

verb (used with object)

Origin of absorb

SYNONYMS FOR absorb

OTHER WORDS FROM absorb

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH absorb

Words nearby absorb

Example sentences from the Web for reabsorb

British Dictionary definitions for reabsorb

verb (tr)

Derived forms of absorb

Word Origin for absorb

Medical definitions for reabsorb

v.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

absorb

verb (used with object)

Origin of absorb

SYNONYMS FOR absorb

OTHER WORDS FROM absorb

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH absorb

Words nearby absorb

Example sentences from the Web for reabsorb

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for reabsorb

verb (tr)

Derived forms of absorb

Word Origin for absorb

Medical definitions for reabsorb

v.

British Dictionary definitions for reabsorb