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| ab·sorb [ əb sáwrb, əb záwrb ] (past and past participle ab·sorbed, present participle ab·sorb·ing, 3rd person present singular ab·sorbs) |
transitive verb |
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| Definition: |
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1. take something up or in: to soak up a liquid or take in nutrients or chemicals gradually
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2. not transmit something: to take up light, noise, or energy and not transmit it at all
  built to absorb the shock of a collision
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3. take something in mentally: to see, read, or hear something and understand it fully
He hasn't yet absorbed the news.
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4. engross somebody: to hold somebody's attention or occupy somebody's time completely
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5. incorporate something into whole: to incorporate something into a larger entity in such a way that it loses much of its own identity
The islands were later absorbed into the Roman Empire.
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6. adapt to something: to adapt to a changing situation without being adversely affected
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7. not pass costs on: to accept increased costs without passing them on to somebody else
forced to absorb the cost of tax increases
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8. require something in quantity: to require something in considerable quantities, usually without significant results
absorbing a huge amount of money
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| [15th century. Via French absorber< Latin absorbere "swallow" < sorbere "suck in"] |
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