51Թ

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View synonyms for

absorb

[ ab-sawrb, -zawrb ]

verb (used with object)

  1. to suck up or drink in (a liquid); soak up:

    A sponge absorbs water.

  2. to swallow up the identity or individuality of; incorporate:

    The empire absorbed many small nations.

    Synonyms: , , , ,

  3. to involve the full attention of; to engross or engage wholly:

    so absorbed in a book that he did not hear the bell.

  4. to occupy or fill:

    This job absorbs all of my time.

  5. to take up or receive by chemical or molecular action:

    Carbonic acid is formed when water absorbs carbon dioxide.

  6. to take in without echo, recoil, or reflection:

    to absorb sound and light; to absorb shock.

  7. to take in and utilize:

    The market absorbed all the computers we could build. Can your brain absorb all this information?

  8. to pay for (costs, taxes, etc.):

    The company will absorb all the research costs.

  9. Archaic. to swallow up.


absorb

/ əbˈsɔːb; -ˈzɔːb /

verb

  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. 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. 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 Compare adsorb

    hydrochloric acid absorbs carbon dioxide

    porous solids absorb water

“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
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Derived Forms

  • ˌǰˈٲ, noun
  • ˈǰ, adjective
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Other 51Թ Forms

  • ·ǰa· adjective
  • ·ǰa·i·ٲ noun
  • non·ǰa·i·ٲ noun
  • non·ǰa· adjective
  • v··ǰ verb (used with object)
  • a·ǰ verb
  • a·ǰ verb (used with object)
  • un·ǰa· adjective
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of absorb1

First recorded in 1480–90; from Latin ǰŧ, from ab- ab- + ǰŧ “to suck in, swallow”
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of absorb1

C15: via Old French from Latin abǰŧ to suck, swallow, from ab- 1+ ǰŧ to suck
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

"Nike is very likely to raise prices if the tariff war persists. There is no way for brands to absorb a 30% to 50% increase in sourcing costs."

From

This could then lead to higher prices of these goods in UK shops if companies cannot absorb the increased costs themselves.

From

"The irony was a big part of it. I often joke that he absorbs all my slow energy for me, so that I can be as fast as I want," says Nuguse.

From

Mike Hawes, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, warned the "costs cannot be absorbed by manufacturers" and called the US announcement "yet another challenge to a sector already facing multiple headwinds".

From

A large-scale map that people could stand in front of and ponder in person, he thought, would help people absorb the tragedy in its totality.

From

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