Absorption

/əbˈsɔːpʃən/

nounIntermediateCommonGeneral

Definitions

1

The act or process of absorbing something, such as a liquid, a gas, or energy

/əbˈsɔːpʃən/

nounneutralIntermediate
General

The process of absorbing something

The absorption of the medicine took several hours

💡 Simply: Taking something in, like a sponge soaks up water

More Examples

2

The company's absorption of the smaller firm was a strategic move

How It's Used

Scientific

"The absorption of light by the plant is crucial for photosynthesis"

Medical

"The absorption of nutrients by the body is essential for good health"

Idioms & expressions

absorb the shock

To withstand or cope with an impact or a difficult situation

"The government tried to absorb the shock of the economic downturn"

From Latin 'absorptio', meaning 'a swallowing up', from 'absorbere', which is a combination of 'ab' (meaning 'from' or 'away') and 'sorbere' (meaning 'to suck in')

The word 'absorption' has been used in scientific and medical contexts since the 17th century

Memory tip

Think of a sponge absorbing water

Word Origin

Root: sorb-

absorbtionabsorptionnabsorbtionn

Usage

40%Spoken
60%Written