See Also: absorb(medicine)
absorb(dictionary)
absorb(dictionary)

absorb (iou)



absorb verb trans. . LME.
[Old & mod. French absorber or Latin absorbere, from ab AB- + sorbere suck in.]
1. Include or take (a thing) in so that it no longer has separate existence; incorporate. LME.
be absorbed by lose one's identity in.
E. O'Neill The conquered Chinese..have already begun to absorb their conquerors. G. Steiner The realistic novel reached out to absorb every new quality and locus of experience.
2. Of water, mire, etc.: engulf. L15-L18.
T. Burnet To be absorpt..in a lake of fire and brimstone.
3. Suck or drink in. E17.
4. Take up (a substance, energy, etc.) by chemical or physical action; gain energy from and reduce the intensity of (light or other radiation, sound, etc.). E18.
5. Engross (a person, a person's attention, etc.). L18.
6. Occupy or consume (time). M19.
7. Assimilate mentally. L19.
R. Church Life..had more to offer me than I could absorb.
absorba'bility noun the quality of being absorbable L18.
absorbable adjective able to be absorbed L18.
absorbance noun the logarithm of the reciprocal of transmittance; optical density: M20.
absorbancy noun the ratio of the optical density of a solution to that of a similar body of pure solvent M20.
absorbed adjective that has been absorbed; esp. engrossed, intensely interested: M18.
absorbedly adverb M19.
absorbedness noun L19.
absorber noun a person who or thing which absorbs M19.
absorbing adjective that absorbs; esp. engrossing, all-engaging: M18.
absorbingly adverb M19.