absorption

[ ab-sawrp-shuhn, -zawrp- ]
See synonyms for absorption on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. the act of absorbing.

  2. the state or process of being absorbed.

  1. assimilation; incorporation: the absorption of small farms into one big one.

  2. uptake of substances by a tissue, as of nutrients through the wall of the intestine.

  3. a taking in or reception by molecular or chemical action, as of gases or liquids.

  4. Physics. the removal of energy or particles from a beam by the medium through which the beam propagates.

  5. complete attention or preoccupation; deep engrossment: absorption in one's work.

Origin of absorption

1
1590–1600; <Latin absorptiōn- (stem of absorptiō), equivalent to absorpt(us), past participle of absorbēre to absorb + -iōn--ion

Other words from absorption

  • hy·per·ab·sorp·tion, noun
  • in·ter·ab·sorp·tion, noun
  • non·ab·sorp·tion, noun
  • o·ver·ab·sorp·tion, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for absorption

absorption

/ (əbˈsɔːpʃən, -ˈzɔːp-) /


noun
  1. the process of absorbing or the state of being absorbed

  2. physiol

    • normal assimilation by the tissues of the products of digestion

    • the passage of a gas, fluid, drug, etc, through the mucous membranes or skin

  1. physics a reduction of the intensity of any form of radiated energy as a result of energy conversion in a medium, such as the conversion of sound energy into heat

  2. immunol the process of removing superfluous antibodies or antigens from a mixture using a reagent

Origin of absorption

1
C16: from Latin absorptiōn-, from absorbēre to absorb

Derived forms of absorption

  • absorptive, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for absorption

absorption

[ əb-sôrpshən ]


  1. Biology The movement of a substance, such as a liquid or solute, across a cell membrane by means of diffusion or osmosis.

  2. Chemistry The process by which one substance, such as a solid or liquid, takes up another substance, such as a liquid or gas, through minute pores or spaces between its molecules. A paper towel takes up water, and water takes up carbon dioxide, by absorption. Compare adsorption.

  1. Physics The taking up and storing of energy, such as radiation, light, or sound, without it being reflected or transmitted. During absorption, the energy may change from one form into another. When radiation strikes the electrons in an atom, the electrons move to a higher orbit or state of excitement by absorption of the radiation's energy.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.