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absorb
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
absorb
verb
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
absorb radiation
▪ It is thought that a black hole absorbs any solar radiation that reaches it.
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADVERB
completely
▪ Even when Pearce's innards had been completely absorbed and digested, the thing's need was still strong.
▪ I was completely absorbed in my climbing.
▪ The railway, by then completely absorbed by the L.M.S., was completely dismantled in 1936.
easily
▪ Iron is more easily absorbed into the body if mixed with vitamin C; have an orange with your meal, for example.
▪ Some of these are more easily absorbed by the body than others.
▪ They are arriving at a time when the economy, with its tight labour market, can not easily absorb them.
▪ So the oxalic acid in your meals is easily absorbed.
▪ We've made them lighter and they're easily absorbed.
▪ Eat plenty of easily absorbed carbohydrates, such as potatoes, rice, corn and wheat products.
▪ The lithographic stone is made of a slab of almost pure limestone, which easily absorbs grease.
▪ Hypo-allergenic, non-greasy and easily absorbed: it's just right for your baby's skin.
fully
▪ In retrospect, the United States never fully absorbed the significance of that vote.
■ NOUN
ability
▪ The doctors suspected that his ability to absorb ascorbic acid had been impaired by long exposure to cosmic radiation.
▪ Some minerals have a marked ability to absorb into their crystal structure through a reversible known as hydration.
▪ The Republic's ability to absorb the effects of dramatic electoral and governmental shifts was about to be tested.
▪ Its ability to absorb wastes and destructive effluent is finite.
amount
▪ At the same time others may, through overfunding, be absorbing an unfair amount of scarce resources. 2.
▪ The different approaches to industrial development have absorbed an enormous amount of resources and effort in the postwar period.
▪ You will only be able to absorb a certain amount of information at a time.
▪ The problem was more one of having to absorb a vast amount of information in a short space of time.
▪ For plants to photosynthesise and produce sugars in their leaf cells, they need to absorb large amounts of carbon dioxide.
▪ A forest on this scale would absorb large amounts of carbon dioxide.
body
▪ Even sports drinks may not contain enough electrolytes -- or the body may not absorb them well enough -- to prevent problems.
▪ The second reason for calcium deficiency is the fact that the body has difficulty absorbing the mineral.
▪ His body absorbed 30,000 volts of electricity, 15 times the charge of an electric chair.
▪ An ordinary body exposed to radiation absorbs some of it and reflects the rest.
▪ Her body absorbed the silence that swelled through the darkened room.
capacity
▪ The potential of joy is vastly greater than our capacity to absorb it all.
▪ For senior management an important lesson was the trade unions' capacity to absorb change and to become its agents.
▪ These are poor in nutrients and their peaty soils have little capacity to absorb any more acid without deleterious effects.
▪ Safety implications include the level of staff training and capacity to absorb training as well as operational hazards.
▪ These should have the capacity for absorbing large numbers of people from nearby towns.
▪ Water has a greater capacity to absorb heat than any other natural material except for ammonia.
▪ Above: South Shore terminus with four Dreadnoughts in line abreast, demonstrating their legendary capacity to absorb crowds.
▪ Carbon monoxide Carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas which, when inhaled, limits the body's capacity to absorb oxygen.
costs
▪ Ekard believes the county can absorb the extra energy costs this year.
▪ Do the workers themselves absorb the costs in lower pay?
▪ Forcing that constituency or group to absorb the costs of failed initiatives is a slow form of organizational suicide.
▪ Does the employer absorb the costs and cut profits or raise prices?
energy
▪ You will definitely take the odd blow to the mid-section so your muscles should be strong enough to absorb some impact energy.
▪ Its products also absorb and divert electrical energy.
▪ Dry areas would no longer absorb energy, and would not be at risk from the high local power-input.
▪ He wondered again about its black color; that was ideal, of course, for absorbing solar energy.
▪ Mosfet Q6 avalanches repetitively and absorbs the energy stored in the leakage inductance of the coil.
▪ Ekard believes the county can absorb the extra energy costs this year.
▪ This absorbs energy from the impact.
▪ Carbon dioxide is a so-called greenhouse gas, which absorbs energy from the sun, making the air warmer.
heat
▪ The lizards seem to use their fringes to absorb heat while basking in the sun.
▪ These dull metals absorb the heat evenly and well.
▪ Darker surfaces absorb heat, which is then radiated as the temperature falls towards the end of the day.
▪ Water has a greater capacity to absorb heat than any other natural material except for ammonia.
▪ Buildings can be designed to absorb and retain heat from the sun to save on heating costs.
idea
▪ It has generally been found that people can only absorb around seven key ideas in any verbal presentation, nomatterhow well conveyed.
▪ Even though your eyes and hands are occupied your ears are still free to absorb new ideas and re-enforce positive thoughts.
▪ This gives the organization time to absorb the idea, to build consensus and to reduce resistance.
▪ But Mark had now become absorbed in an idea for a sermon that had suddenly come to him.
▪ He was the kind of man who absorbed ideas unconsciously, made them his own, and pushed them to new limits.
impact
▪ You will definitely take the odd blow to the mid-section so your muscles should be strong enough to absorb some impact energy.
▪ The racket also absorbs shock on impact by way of its Tri-Level Shock Suppression System.
▪ Incidentally, the body shape also means the hand is in the optimum position for absorbing the recoil impact.
▪ This absorbs energy from the impact.
▪ The suit had absorbed the impact.
▪ Apparently, this made the conker more malleable, allowing it to absorb the impact of my prize pickled nut.
▪ From the ground floor of the church the viewer absorbs the impact of the immense church.
information
▪ It was a gesture, Blanche thought, to allow him time to absorb the information.
▪ It said it would absorb Information Consulting but could not disclose details of the transaction.
▪ It is generally difficult for parents to absorb information about several major problems in their baby all at the same time.
▪ He tried to concentrate on a claim-form but was unable to absorb the information.
lesson
▪ But Mr Mugabe wants resettlement to be efficient, too, and is absorbing the Musengezi lesson.
▪ Longtime Soviet ruler Joseph Stalin was quick to absorb the lesson.
light
▪ Because the diamond is absorbing blue light, it appears yellow in ordinary light.
▪ Yet it seemed to absorb every particle of light as if it had never been.
▪ Neutral sodium absorbs orange light - at wavelengths of 5890 and 5896 angstroms - from stars that lie behind it.
▪ Scientists can learn much about the nature of an object by studying the way it emits and absorbs light and other radiation.
▪ The window does not absorb any of the light, it just reflects it.
▪ This gas absorbs visible light so well that plants could not photosynthesize even if they somehow retained their leaves.
▪ It absorbs ultra-violet light and protects the eye.
▪ Until recently, such wavelengths have been ignored because neutral hydrogen absorbs it in the same way fog absorbs visible light.
liquid
▪ It has to absorb all the liquid it requires through its skin.
▪ It also absorbs less liquid, so slightly more is needed when trading it for regular flour.
loss
▪ The banks would be forced to absorb large losses.
▪ Others could lose $ 1, 000 or more and absorb the loss.
▪ They absorb these losses either by taking the hit themselves or by paying insurance premiums that are roughly equal to those losses.
▪ Many contractors may not be able to absorb those losses.
▪ When new occupiers lease these properties, Control Securities will have to absorb a £7m loss in the value of these assets.
▪ They can absorb the loss because of the interest they earn on all the other loans.
radiation
▪ Diamond absorbs infrared radiation by a slightly more complex process.
▪ Scientists can learn much about the nature of an object by studying the way it emits and absorbs light and other radiation.
shock
▪ The racket also absorbs shock on impact by way of its Tri-Level Shock Suppression System.
▪ Riders must be in excellent physical and mental condition to absorb the shock of bouncing over the water.
▪ It was impossible for any society to absorb without hardship a shock like that of the massive loss of trade to Gdynia.
▪ While the council absorbed this shock, the 1990 recession hit-knocking revenues down another $ 1. 5 million a year.
▪ An immigrant labour force would always be needed as a buffer to absorb the shocks of alternating booms and recessions.
▪ The problems came in absorbing the shock.
▪ Indeed, permanently fixed exchange rates could be positively harmful since changing parities can act as a buffer to absorb economic shocks.
▪ He was under sedation, Sister Cooney informed Rim, and was best left alone until he had absorbed the shock.
skin
▪ Maybe they reckon they've also managed to absorb that through their skin ....
▪ They have no gills, but obtain their oxygen by absorbing it through the skin of their body and greatly enlarged tails.
▪ Ultracare 3 is quickly absorbed into the skin and forms a protective grease-free barrier.
▪ The soap can cause foetal damage, anaemia and kidney failure if too much is absorbed through the skin.
▪ Water is absorbed directly through the skin - no adult amphibians are known to drink.
▪ It is toxic by inhalation or ingestion and can be absorbed through the skin.
▪ Moreover, mercury in the banned products can be absorbed by the skin and lead to hypertension, stroke and heart failure.
water
▪ Substitutes have been developed in the past but failed to absorb water to the extent that ivory does.
▪ To make pancakes, in a large mixing bowl, combine flour and water, stirring constantly until all water is absorbed.
▪ Once cooked, the lentils should have absorbed all of the water and feel soft in texture.
▪ The best line is of braided nylon, which doesn't absorb water and become heavy.
▪ Oxygen is absorbed into the water by surface movement, where a gaseous exchange takes place releasing carbon dioxide and absorbing oxygen.
■ VERB
allow
▪ It was a gesture, Blanche thought, to allow him time to absorb the information.
▪ Pierce grapes with a skewer or needle to allow them to absorb rum.
▪ It could therefore be allowed to absorb the modus.
▪ Stir thoroughly and let stand, covered, for 3 to 4 minutes to allow couscous to absorb stock.
▪ Apparently, this made the conker more malleable, allowing it to absorb the impact of my prize pickled nut.
▪ Don't fight it, embrace it. Allow the Darkfall to absorb you, allow it to transmogrify you.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
▪ A new baby has an enormous capacity for absorbing new information.
▪ Few athletic teams can successfully absorb the loss of three starting players.
▪ He appeared to understand, but whether he absorbed every detail I cannot say.
▪ I keep the lesson simple because small kids can't absorb that much.
▪ In the last 10 years, California has absorbed 35% of all legal immigrants to the U.S.
▪ Lead that gets into your body is absorbed into the bones.
▪ Most people need to read something more than once to absorb all the ideas.
▪ Move the plants to a south-facing wall, where they can absorb daytime heat.
▪ Simmer the rice for 20 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed.
▪ The insole is designed to absorb shock and provide arch support.
▪ The university had to absorb a $14 million cut in funding.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪ But it would be straining credulity too far to expect that everything will be absorbed.
▪ Gandhi gave the party some attention but social uplift absorbed more of him.
▪ In the long run, other institutions have absorbed gender integration with only minor difficulty and have thrived as a result.
▪ The railway, by then completely absorbed by the L.M.S., was completely dismantled in 1936.
▪ To make pancakes, in a large mixing bowl, combine flour and water, stirring constantly until all water is absorbed.
▪ We were totally absorbed in one another and in our work.
▪ While the council absorbed this shock, the 1990 recession hit-knocking revenues down another $ 1. 5 million a year.
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Absorb

Absorb \Ab*sorb"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Absorbed; p. pr. & vb. n. Absorbing.] [L. absorbere; ab + sorbere to suck in, akin to Gr. ?: cf. F. absorber.]

  1. To swallow up; to engulf; to overwhelm; to cause to disappear as if by swallowing up; to use up; to include. ``Dark oblivion soon absorbs them all.''
    --Cowper.

    The large cities absorb the wealth and fashion.
    --W. Irving.

  2. To suck up; to drink in; to imbibe; as a sponge or as the lacteals of the body.
    --Bacon.

  3. To engross or engage wholly; to occupy fully; as, absorbed in study or the pursuit of wealth.

  4. To take up by cohesive, chemical, or any molecular action, as when charcoal absorbs gases. So heat, light, and electricity are absorbed or taken up in the substances into which they pass.
    --Nichol.

    Syn: To Absorb, Engross, Swallow up, Engulf.

    Usage: These words agree in one general idea, that of completely taking up. They are chiefly used in a figurative sense and may be distinguished by a reference to their etymology. We speak of a person as absorbed (lit., drawn in, swallowed up) in study or some other employment of the highest interest. We speak of a person as ebgrossed (lit., seized upon in the gross, or wholly) by something which occupies his whole time and thoughts, as the acquisition of wealth, or the attainment of honor. We speak of a person (under a stronger image) as swallowed up and lost in that which completely occupies his thoughts and feelings, as in grief at the death of a friend, or in the multiplied cares of life. We speak of a person as engulfed in that which (like a gulf) takes in all his hopes and interests; as, engulfed in misery, ruin, etc.

    That grave question which had begun to absorb the Christian mind -- the marriage of the clergy.
    --Milman.

    Too long hath love engrossed Britannia's stage, And sunk to softness all our tragic rage.
    --Tickell.

    Should not the sad occasion swallow up My other cares?
    --Addison.

    And in destruction's river Engulf and swallow those.
    --Sir P. Sidney.

Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
absorb

early 15c., from Middle French absorber (Old French assorbir, 13c.), from Latin absorbere "to swallow up," from ab- "from" (see ab-) + sorbere "suck in," from PIE root *srebh- "to suck, absorb" (cognates: Armenian arbi "I drank," Greek rhopheo "to sup greedily up, gulp down," Lithuanian srebiu "to drink greedily"). Figurative meaning "to completely grip (one's) attention" is from 1763. Related: Absorbed; absorbing.

Wiktionary
absorb

vb. 1 (context transitive English) 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.)(reference-book editor=Brown, Lesley title=The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary origdate= origyear=1933 origmonth= edition=5th date= year=2003 month= publisher=Oxford University Press location=Oxford, UK language= isbn=978-0-19-860575-7 pages=9 chapter= quote=) 2 (context transitive obsolete English) To engulf, as in water; to swallow up. (Attested from the late 15th century until the late 18th century.) 3 (context transitive English) To suck up; to drink in; to imbibe; as a sponge or as the lacteals of the body; to chemically take in. (First attested in the early 17th century.) 4 (context transitive physics chemistry English) To take in energy and convert it, as(First attested in the early 18th century.) 5 # (context transitive physics English) in receiving a physical impact or vibration without recoil. 6 # (context transitive physics English) in receiving sound energy without repercussion or echo. 7 # (context transitive physics English) taking in radiant energy and converting it to a different form of energy, like heat. 8 (context transitive English) To engross or engage wholly; to occupy fully; as, '''absorbed''' in study or in the pursuit of wealth. (First attested in the late 18th century.) 9 (context transitive English) To occupy or consume time. (First attested in the mid 19th century.) 10 (context transitive English) Assimilate mentally. (First attested in the late 19th century.) 11 (context transitive business English) To assume or pay for as part of a commercial transaction. 12 (context transitive English) To defray the costs. 13 (context transitive English) To accept or purchase in quantity.

Related phrases:
WordNet
absorb

  1. v. become imbued; "The liquids, light, and gases absorb"

  2. take up mentally; "he absorbed the knowledge or beliefs of his tribe" [syn: assimilate, ingest, take in]

  3. take up, as of debts or payments; "absorb the costs for something" [syn: take over]

  4. take in, also metaphorically; "The sponge absorbs water well"; "She drew strength from the minister's words" [syn: suck, imbibe, soak up, sop up, suck up, draw, take in, take up]

  5. cause to become one with; "The sales tax is absorbed into the state income tax"

  6. suck or take up or in; "A black star absorbs all matter" [syn: take in] [ant: emit]

  7. engross (oneself) fully; "He immersed himself into his studies" [syn: steep, immerse, engulf, plunge, engross, soak up]

  8. assimilate or take in; "The immigrants were quickly absorbed into society"

  9. engage or engross wholly; "Her interest in butterflies absorbs her completely" [syn: engross, engage, occupy]

Wikipedia
Related phrases:

Usage examples of "absorb".

Their structure is remarkable, and their functions complex, for they secrete, absorb, and are acted on by various stimulants.

These trials were made with cut offleaves, and it occurred to me that this circumstance might influence the result, as the footstalks would not perhaps absorb water quickly enough to supply the glands as they continued to secrete.

I have no doubt that this was due to the prolonged irritation of the glands, as the starch continued to absorb the secretion.

Whenever the leaves remain inflected during several days over seeds, it is clear that they absorb some matter from them.

The glands of Drosera absorb matter from living seeds, which are injured or killed by the secretion.

Besides the glands, both surfaces of the leaves and the pedicels of the tentacles bear numerous minute papillae, which absorb carbonate of ammonia, an infusion of raw meat, metallic salts, and probably many other substances, but the absorption of matter by these papillae never induces inflection.

As such minute doses of the salts of ammonia affect the leaves, we may feel almost sure that Drosera absorbs and profits by the amount, though small, which is present in rainwater, in the same manner as other plants absorb these same salts by their roots.

It appears from these several facts that digitaline causes inflection, and poisons the glands which absorb a moderately large amount.

If, however, meat had been placed on the glands of these same tentacles before they had begun to secrete copiously and to absorb, they undoubtedly would have affected the exterior rows.

The experiments proving that the leaves are capable of true digestion, and that the glands absorb the digested matter, are given in detail in the sixth chapter.

The secretion with animal matter in solution is then drawn by capillary attraction over the whole surface of the leaf, causing all the glands to secrete and allowing them to absorb the diffused animal matter.

Utricularia,-it is probable that these processes absorb excrementitious and decaying animal matter.

These probably sink down besmeared with the secretion and rest on the small sessile glands, which, if we may judge by the analogy of Drosophyllum, then pour forth their secretion and afterwards absorb the digested matter.

By comparing many different hairs, it was evident that the glands first absorb the carbonate, and that the effect thus produced travels down the hairs from cell to cell.

The glands, however, absorb very much more slowly than those of Drosera.