absorb
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absorb
assimilate; consume; soak up: A sponge absorbs water.
Not to be confused with:
adsorb – gather a substance on a surface: Charcoal will adsorb gasses.
Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree
ab·sorb
(əb-zôrb′, -sôrb′)tr.v. ab·sorbed, ab·sorb·ing, ab·sorbs
1. To take (something) in through or as through pores or interstices.
2.
a. To occupy the attention, interest, or time of; engross: The problem completely absorbed her. See Synonyms at engross.
b. To take up or occupy (one's time or interest, for example).
3. To retain (radiation or sound, for example) wholly, without reflection or transmission.
4. To take in; assimilate: immigrants who were absorbed into the social mainstream.
5. To learn; acquire: "Matisse absorbed the lesson and added to it a new language of color" (Peter Plagen).
6. To receive (an impulse) without echo or recoil: a fabric that absorbs sound; a bumper that absorbs impact.
7. To assume or pay for (a cost or costs).
8. To endure; accommodate: couldn't absorb the additional hardships.
9. To use up; consume: The project has absorbed all of our department's resources.
[Middle English, to swallow up, from Old French absorber, from Latin absorbēre : ab-, away; see ab-1 + sorbēre, to suck.]
ab·sorb′a·bil′i·ty n.
ab·sorb′a·ble adj.
ab·sorb′ed·ly adv.
ab·sorb′er n.
ab·sorb′ing·ly adv.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
absorb
(əbˈsɔːb; -ˈzɔːb)vb (tr)
1. to soak or suck up (liquids)
2. to engage or occupy (the interest, attention, or time) of (someone); engross
3. to receive or take in (the energy of an impact)
4. (General Physics) physics to take in (all or part of incident radiated energy) and retain the part that is not reflected or transmitted
5. to take in or assimilate; incorporate
6. to accept and find a market for (goods, etc)
7. to pay for as part of a commercial transaction: the distributor absorbed the cost of transport.
8. (Chemistry) 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
[C15: via Old French from Latin absorbēre to suck, swallow, from ab-1 + sorbēre to suck]
abˌsorbaˈbility n
abˈsorbable adj
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
ab•sorb
(æbˈsɔrb, -ˈzɔrb)v.t.
1. to suck up (a liquid); soak up: A sponge absorbs water.
2. to take in and assimilate; incorporate: The empire absorbed many nations.
3. to involve the full attention of; engross: This book will absorb the serious reader.
4. to occupy or fill (time, attention, etc.).
5. to assimilate by chemical or molecular action.
6. to take in without echo, recoil, or reflection: to absorb shock; to absorb sound.
7. to take in and utilize: to absorb information.
8. to pay for (costs, taxes, etc.).
9. Archaic. to swallow up.
[1480–90; < Latin absorbēre=ab- ab- + sorbēre to suck in, swallow]
ab•sorb′a•ble, adj.
ab•sorb`a•bil′i•ty, n.
ab•sorb′er, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
absorb
Past participle: absorbed
Gerund: absorbing
Imperative |
---|
absorb |
absorb |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
Verb | 1. | absorb - become imbued; "The liquids, light, and gases absorb" chemical science, chemistry - the science of matter; the branch of the natural sciences dealing with the composition of substances and their properties and reactions imbibe, assimilate - take (gas, light or heat) into a solution |
2. | absorb - take up mentally; "he absorbed the knowledge or beliefs of his tribe" larn, learn, acquire - gain knowledge or skills; "She learned dancing from her sister"; "I learned Sanskrit"; "Children acquire language at an amazing rate" imbibe - receive into the mind and retain; "Imbibe ethical principles" | |
3. | absorb - take up, as of debts or payments; "absorb the costs for something" fund - furnish money for; "The government funds basic research in many areas" | |
4. | absorb - take in, also metaphorically; "The sponge absorbs water well"; "She drew strength from the minister's words" mop, mop up, wipe up - to wash or wipe with or as if with a mop; "Mop the hallway now"; "He mopped her forehead with a towel" blot - dry (ink) with blotting paper sponge up - absorb as if with a sponge; "sponge up the spilled milk on the counter" | |
5. | absorb - cause to become one with; "The sales tax is absorbed into the state income tax" | |
6. | absorb - suck or take up or in; "A black star absorbs all matter" | |
7. | absorb - devote (oneself) fully to; "He immersed himself into his studies" immerse, plunge - cause to be immersed; "The professor plunged his students into the study of the Italian text" | |
8. | absorb - assimilate or take in; "The immigrants were quickly absorbed into society" | |
9. | absorb - consume all of one's attention or time; "Her interest in butterflies absorbs her completely" involve - occupy or engage the interest of; "His story completely involved me during the entire afternoon" consume - engage fully; "The effort to pass the exam consumed all his energy" rivet - hold (someone's attention); "The discovery of the skull riveted the paleontologists" interest - excite the curiosity of; engage the interest of |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
absorb
verb
1. soak up, drink in, devour, suck up, receive, digest, imbibe, ingest, osmose Refined sugars are absorbed into the bloodstream very quickly.
2. assimilate, take in, incorporate, accommodate, homogenize, intermix an economy capable of absorbing thousands of immigrants
3. cushion, suppress, soften, pillow, bolster, stifle, dampen, muffle, buttress, deaden footwear to absorb the impact of a hard pavement
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
absorb
verb2. To occupy the full attention of:
3. To take in and incorporate, especially mentally:
Informal: soak (up).
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
يَمْتَصْ، يَتَشَرب
pohltitvsát
absorberefordybeopslugeopsugeoptage
neelduma
imeäomaksua
elmerülfelszív
drekka í sigupptekinn
sugeriamasissugėrimassugertiužvaldyti
absorbētsaistītuzsūkt
vpiťzahĺbiť sa
sprejetivpiti
förbrukakonsumera
emmektüm ilgi ve dikkatini çekmek
absorb
[əbˈzɔːb] VT1. [+ liquid] → absorber; [+ heat, sound, shock, vibrations, radiation] → amortiguar
2. (fig) [+ information] → asimilar; [+ time, energy] → ocupar, absorber
the business absorbs most of his time → el negocio absorbe or le lleva la mayor parte de su tiempo
the parent company absorbs the losses made by the subsidiary → la empresa matriz absorbe las pérdidas de la filial
the country absorbed 1,000 refugees → el país dio entrada a or acogió a 1.000 refugiados
the business absorbs most of his time → el negocio absorbe or le lleva la mayor parte de su tiempo
the parent company absorbs the losses made by the subsidiary → la empresa matriz absorbe las pérdidas de la filial
the country absorbed 1,000 refugees → el país dio entrada a or acogió a 1.000 refugiados
3. (= engross) to be absorbed in → estar absorto en, estar ensimismado con
she was absorbed in a book → estaba absorta en or ensimismada con un libro
to get absorbed in → centrarse or meterse de lleno en
she was absorbed in a book → estaba absorta en or ensimismada con un libro
to get absorbed in → centrarse or meterse de lleno en
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
absorb
[əbˈzɔːrb] vt (= soak up) [+ liquid, heat, light, water, carbon dioxide] → absorber
[+ impact, shock] → amortir
(= assimilate) [+ group, business] → absorber
Small businesses are being absorbed by larger ones → Les petites entreprises sont en train d'être absorbées par les plus grosses.
Small businesses are being absorbed by larger ones → Les petites entreprises sont en train d'être absorbées par les plus grosses.
(= cope with) [+ effects, losses] → absorber
We can't absorb those costs → Nous ne pouvons absorber ces coûts.
We can't absorb those costs → Nous ne pouvons absorber ces coûts.
(= take in) [+ information, details] → assimiler; [+ atmosphere] → s'imprégner de
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
absorb
vt → absorbieren, aufnehmen; liquid also → aufsaugen; knowledge, news also → in sich (acc) → aufnehmen; vibration → auffangen, absorbieren; shock → dämpfen; light, sound → absorbieren, schlucken; people, firm → absorbieren, integrieren (→ into in +acc); costs etc → tragen; one’s time → in Anspruch nehmen; she absorbs things quickly → sie hat eine rasche Auffassungsgabe; to be absorbed in a book etc → in ein Buch etc vertieft or versunken sein; to get absorbed in a book etc → sich in ein Buch etc vertiefen; she was completely absorbed in her family/job → sie ging völlig in ihrer Familie/Arbeit auf
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
absorb
[əbˈsɔːb] vt (also fig) → assorbire; (costs) → ammortizzare; (information) → assimilareshe was absorbed in a book → era immersa or assorta nella lettura di un libro
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
absorb
(əbˈzoːb) verb1. to soak up. The cloth absorbed the ink I had spilled.
2. to take up the whole attention of (a person). He was completely absorbed in his book.
abˈsorbent adjective able to soak up. absorbent paper.
abˈsorption (-ˈzoːp-) nounKernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
ab·sorb
vt. absorber, sorber, chupar.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
absorb
vt absorberEnglish-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.