absorb
English
Etymology
- First attested around 1425. From Middle French absorber, from Old French assorbir, from Latin absorbeō (“swallow up”), from ab- (“from”) + sorbeō (“suck in, swallow”). Compare French absorber.
Pronunciation
- Lua error in Module:parameters at line 95: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "RP" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /əbˈzɔːb/, /əbˈsɔːb/
- Lua error in Module:parameters at line 95: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "US" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /æbˈsɔɹb/, /æbˈzɔɹb/, /əbˈsɔɹb/, /əbˈzɔɹb/
Audio (US) (file) - Rhymes: -ɔː(r)b
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 around 1350 to 1470.][1]
- (Can we date this quote?) William Cowper:
- Dark oblivion soon absorbs them all.
- (Can we date this quote?) Washington Irving:
- The large cities absorb the wealth and fashion.
- (Can we date this quote?) William Cowper:
- (transitive, obsolete) To engulf, as in water; to swallow up. [Attested from the late 15th century until the late 18th century.][1]
- 1879, Thomas Burnet, The Sacred Theory of the Earth:
- to be absorpt, or swallowed up, in a lake of fire and brimstone.
- (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.][1]
- (transitive, physics, chemistry) To take in energy and convert it, as[First attested in the early 18th century.][1]
- (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.
- Heat, light, and electricity are absorbed in the substances into which they pass.
- (transitive) To engross or engage wholly; to occupy fully[First attested in the late 18th century.][1]
- 1917, Edgar Rice Burroughs, chapter VIII, in The Son of Tarzan:
- Geeka was cooking dinner. As the little girl played she prattled continuously to her companion, propped in a sitting position with a couple of twigs. She was totally absorbed in the domestic duties of Geeka--so much so that she did not note the gentle swaying of the branches of the tree above her as they bent to the body of the creature that had entered them stealthily from the jungle.
- 1904, Kazimierz Waliszewski, translated by Lady Mary Loyd, Ivan the Terrible Part 2 Chapter 3
- Livonian affairs held him tight, and were to absorb him for many a year.
- (transitive) To occupy or consume time. [First attested in the mid 19th century.][1]
- (transitive) Assimilate mentally. [First attested in the late 19th century.][1]
- (transitive, business) To assume or pay for as part of a commercial transaction.
- (transitive) To defray the costs.
- (transitive) To accept or purchase in quantity.
Conjugation
Conjugation of absorb
infinitive | (to) absorb | ||
---|---|---|---|
present tense | past tense | ||
1st-person singular | absorb | absorbed | |
2nd-person singular | |||
3rd-person singular | absorbs | ||
plural | absorb | ||
subjunctive | absorb | absorbed | |
imperative | absorb | — | |
participles | absorbing | absorbed |
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
to take in
Antonyms
- (physics: to take up by chemical or physical action): emit
Derived terms
Derived terms
Translations
to include so that it no longer has separate existence
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to suck up or drink in
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to learn
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to occupy fully
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to consume completely
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to endure
physics: to take up by chemical or physical action
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finance: to assume or pay for
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
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See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 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
Romanian
Pronunciation
Verb
absorb
Categories:
- English terms derived from Middle French
- English terms derived from Old French
- English terms derived from Latin
- Latin terms prefixed with ab-
- English 2-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- Rhymes:English/ɔː(r)b
- English lemmas
- English verbs
- English transitive verbs
- English terms with obsolete senses
- English terms with quotations
- en:Physics
- en:Chemistry
- en:Business
- Romanian terms with IPA pronunciation
- Romanian non-lemma forms
- Romanian verb forms