sucking up; taking in; preoccupation, mental engrossment
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Absorption Definition from Language, Idioms & Slang Dictionaries & Glossaries
(n.)
The act or process of absorbing or sucking in anything, or of being absorbed and made to disappear; as, the absorption of bodies in a whirlpool, the absorption of a smaller tribe into a larger.
The act or process of absorbing or sucking in anything, or of being absorbed and made to disappear; as, the absorption of bodies in a whirlpool, the absorption of a smaller tribe into a larger.
(n.)
In living organisms, the process by which the materials of growth and nutrition are absorbed and conveyed to the tissues and organs.
In living organisms, the process by which the materials of growth and nutrition are absorbed and conveyed to the tissues and organs.
(n.)
Entire engrossment or occupation of the mind; as, absorption in some employment.
Entire engrossment or occupation of the mind; as, absorption in some employment.
(n.)
An imbibing or reception by molecular or chemical action; as, the absorption of light, heat, electricity, etc.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), edited by Noah Porter. AboutAn imbibing or reception by molecular or chemical action; as, the absorption of light, heat, electricity, etc.
absorption
\ab*sorp"tion\ (&?;), n. [l. absorptio, fr. absorbere. see absorb.]
1. the act or process of absorbing or sucking in anything, or of being absorbed and made to disappear; as, the absorption of bodies in a whirlpool, the absorption of a smaller tribe into a larger.
2. (chem. & physics) an imbibing or reception by molecular or chemical action; as, the absorption of light, heat, electricity, etc.
3. (physiol.) in living organisms, the process by which the materials of growth and nutrition are absorbed and conveyed to the tissues and organs.
4. entire engrossment or occupation of the mind; as, absorption in some employment.
similar words(1)
absorption spectrum
The act or process of absorbing.
Noun
1. (chemistry) a process in which one substance permeates another; a fluid permeates or is dissolved by a liquid or solid
(synonym) soaking up
(hypernym) sorption
(hyponym) imbibition
(derivation) absorb, suck, imbibe, soak up, sop up, suck up, draw, take in, take up
(classification) chemistry, chemical science
2. (physics) the process in which incident radiated energy is retained without reflection or transmission on passing through a medium; "the absorption of photons by atoms or molecules"
(hypernym) natural process, natural action, action, activity
(part-holonym) extinction
(derivation) absorb, take in
(classification) physics, physical science, natural philosophy
3. the social process of absorbing one cultural group into harmony with another
(synonym) assimilation
(hypernym) social process
(hyponym) Americanization, Americanisation
(derivation) absorb, assimilate, ingest, take in
4. the process of absorbing nutrients into the body after digestion
(synonym) assimilation
(hypernym) organic process, biological process
(hyponym) malabsorption
5. complete attention; intense mental effort
(synonym) concentration, engrossment, immersion
(hypernym) attention
(hyponym) focus, focusing, focussing, direction, centering
(derivation) steep, immerse, engulf, plunge, engross, absorb, soak up
6. the mental state of being preoccupied by something
(synonym) preoccupation, preoccupancy, engrossment
(hypernym) cognitive state, state of mind
(hyponym) abstractedness, abstraction
(derivation) absorb, engross, engage, occupy
Absorption Definition from Science & Technology Dictionaries & Glossaries
"A process ""to take in and incorporate."" E.g., light can be ""absorbed"" by a material. In chemistry, a term often used to describe the dissolution of a gas into a liquid or solid. The dissolving gas is said to be ""absorbed."" Or a liquid substance can be ""absorbed"" by a solid. This is a bulk process, not to be confused with adsorption. "
Compare with adsorption and sorption .1. Penetration of molecules into the bulk of a solid or liquid, forming either a solution or compound. Absorption can be a chemical process (a strong solution of NaOH absorbs CO2 from the air) or a physical process (palladium absorbs hydrogen gas). 2. Capture and transformation of energy by a substance; for example, copper looks reddish because it absorbs blue light. An absorbent captures another material and distributes it throughout; an adsorbent captures another material and distributes it on its surface only.
In the transmission of electrical, electromagnetic, or acoustic signals, the conversion of the transmitted energy into another form, usually thermal. (188 ) [After 2196 ] Note 1: Absorption is one cause of signal attenuation . Note 2: The conversion takes place as a result of interaction between the incident energy and the material medium , at the molecular or atomic level.
The conversion of sound or radio frequency (RF) energy into heat.
The physical uptake of water and/or ions by a substance. For example, soils absorb water.
: The physical uptake of water and/or ions by a substance. For example, soils absorb water.
A process for separating mixtures into their constituents, by taking advantage of the fact that some components are more readily absorbed than others. An example is the extraction of the heavier components from natural gas.
The process in which incident radiant energy is retained by a substance. The absorbed radiation is then transformed into molecular energy.
The process by which water is absorbed. The amount of water absorbed under specific conditions, usually expressed as percentage of the dry weight of the material.
A process whereby a material extracts one or more substances present in an atmosphere or mixture of gases or liquids accompanied by the material's physical and/or chemical changes.
retention (of water vapor) by penetration into the bulk of a material.technical glossary, technical terms, glossary, technical glossary
The physical mechanism by which one substance takes up another substance (liquid, gas or vapor) into its interior.
The taking-in of energy, which can cause an ion to move to a higher energy state or can cause a material to heat up, for example. An optical signal losing its energy to atoms in a fiber is said to be absorbed.
Absorption Definition from Encyclopedia Dictionaries & Glossaries
Absorption may refer to:
Chemistry and biology
- Absorption (chemistry), absorption of particles of gas or liquid in liquid or solid material
- Absorption (skin), a route by which substances can enter the body through the skin
- Absorption (pharmacokinetics), absorption of drugs in body
- CO2 scrubber, the absorbent in a rebreather
- Absorption (small intestine)
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Absorption Definition from Sports Dictionaries & Glossaries
Investment and consumption purchases by households, businesses and governments both domestic and
Absorption Definition from Society & Culture Dictionaries & Glossaries
The uptake of water , other fluids, or dissolved chemicals by a cell or an organism (as tree roots absorb dissolved nutrients in soil.)
Provided as a public service by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
The uptake of water or dissolved chemicals by a cell or an organism (as tree roots absorb dissolved nutrients in the soil).
The reduction in a radio signal amplitude due to refraction in the ionosphere.
Absorption Definition from Entertainment & Music Dictionaries & Glossaries
Absorption Definition from Religion & Spirituality Dictionaries & Glossaries
Absorption [from Latin absorbere to suck up, swallow] In The Secret Doctrine, the reabsorption of all manifestation at the coming on of the Great Night or mahapralaya, "when Pralaya will have reduced not only material and psychical bodies, but even the spiritual Ego(s) to their original principle -- the Past, Present, and even Future Humanities, like all things, will be one and the same. Everything will have re-entered the Great Breath" (1:265-6).
Likewise the reentering of the human into the divine, of the personality into the individuality, achieved in moments of samadhi even during the lifetime of the initiate on earth; also entrance of the individual into the nirvanic condition.
Likewise the reentering of the human into the divine, of the personality into the individuality, achieved in moments of samadhi even during the lifetime of the initiate on earth; also entrance of the individual into the nirvanic condition.
The loss of photons as light passes through a medium. A photon is lost when it strikes an electron, and the photon's energy is consumed in knocking the electron to a higher energy level.
Absorption Definition from Medicine Dictionaries & Glossaries
The process by which toxicants cross body membranes and enter the blood stream or lymphatic system. Absorption frequently refers to the movement of a chemical from outside the body across membrane barriers to gain entrance into the body.
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noun
(i) action of taking a liquid into a solid; (ii) taking substances into the body, such as proteins or fats which have been digested from food and are taken into the bloodstream from the stomach and intestines
absorption rate = rate at which a liquid is absorbed by a solid
percutaneous absorption = absorbing a substance through the skin
NOTE: the spellings: absorb but absorption
(i) action of taking a liquid into a solid; (ii) taking substances into the body, such as proteins or fats which have been digested from food and are taken into the bloodstream from the stomach and intestines
absorption rate = rate at which a liquid is absorbed by a solid
percutaneous absorption = absorbing a substance through the skin
NOTE: the spellings: absorb but absorption
