absorb

== English == === 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. === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /əbˈzɔːb/, /əbˈsɔːb/ (General American) IPA(key): /æbˈsɔɹb/, /æbˈzɔɹb/, /əbˈsɔɹb/, /əbˈzɔɹb/ Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)b Hyphenation: ab‧sorb === Verb === absorb (third-person singular simple present absorbs, present participle absorbing, simple past and past participle absorbed or (archaic) absorpt) (transitive) 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. [first attested c. 1350 to 1470.] (transitive, obsolete) To engulf, as in water; to swallow up. [Attested from the late 15th century until the late 18th century.] (transitive) To suck up; to drink in; to imbibe, like a sponge or as the lacteals of the body; to chemically take in. [first attested in the early 17th century.] (intransitive) To be absorbed, or sucked in; to sink in. (transitive, physics, chemistry) To take in energy and convert it. [first attested in the early 18th century.] (transitive, physics) in receiving a physical impact or vibration without recoil. (transitive, physics) in receiving sound energy without repercussion or echo. (transitive, physics) taking in radiant energy and converting it to a different form of energy, like heat. (transitive) To engross or engage wholly; to occupy fully. [first attested in the late 18th century.] (transitive) To occupy or consume time. [first attested in the mid 19th century.] (transitive) To assimilate mentally. [first attested in the late 19th century.] (transitive, business) To assume or pay for as part of a commercial transaction. (transitive) To defray the costs. Synonym: eat (transitive) To accept or purchase in quantity. ==== Conjugation ==== ==== Synonyms ==== (to include so that it no longer has separate existence): assimilate, engulf, incorporate, swallow up, overwhelm (to suck up or drink in): draw, drink in, imbibe, soak up, sop up, suck, suck up, steep, take in, take up (to consume completely): use up (to occupy fully): engage, engross, immerse, monopolize, occupy (finance: to assume or pay for): assume, bear, pay for, take in ==== Antonyms ==== (antonym(s) of “physics: to take up by chemical or physical action”): emit ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === See also === adsorb === Further reading === Lesley Brown, editor-in-chief, William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, editors (2002), “absorb”, in The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles, 5th edition, Oxford; New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 9. === Anagrams === Brabos, bobars, robabs == Romanian == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): [abˈsorb] === Verb === absorb inflection of absorbi: first-person singular present indicative/subjunctive third-person plural present indicative