absorbv.

Brit.

/əbˈzɔːb/,

/əbˈsɔːb/, U.S.

/əbˈzɔrb/,

/æbˈzɔrb/,

/əbˈsɔrb/,

/æbˈsɔrb/

Forms: late Middle English– absorb, 1700s absorp. Past participle late Middle English 1600s– absorbed, 1500s absorpte, 1500s–1600s absorpt.

Origin: Of multiple origins. Partly a borrowing from French. Partly a borrowing from Latin. Etymons: French absorber; Latin absorbēre.

Etymology: < (i) Anglo-Norman and Middle French absorbir, Anglo-Norman and Middle French, French absorber to engulf (mid 11th cent. in Old French as assorber ; also c1200 as assorbir in this sense), to swallow, devour (2nd half of the 12th cent. in Old French as asorbir ), to take in, assimilate (late 12th cent. in Old French), (of a liquid) to soak up (early 16th cent.), and its etymon (ii) classical Latin absorbēre to swallow down, devour, (of water) to engulf, submerge, to swallow up, to soak up < ab- ab- prefix + sorbēre to suck in, < the same Indo-European base as ancient Greek ῥοϕεῖν to gulp down, Armenian arbi I drank, Old Church Slavonic srĭbanije ‘food’ or ‘soup, broth’, Lithuanian srėbti to sip. Compare Old Occitan asorbar , absorbir , Catalan absorbir (a1575), Spanish absorber (2nd half of the 14th cent.), Portuguese absorver (15th cent.), Italian assorbire (a1406). Compare earlier absorpt adj.With the development of classical Latin abs- in French compare discussion at ab- prefix. With forms of the past participle in -pt and perhaps also with the present tense form absorp compare classical Latin absorptus , past participle of absorbēre (see absorpt adj.).

†1. transitive. To swallow up, engulf, esp. in a body of water. Also with in. Frequently in passive. Also figurative. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > existence and causation > creation > destruction > destroy [verb (transitive)] > devour, engulf, or consume (of fire, water, etc.)

supeOE

eatc950

fretc1000

forthnimc1175

forfret?c1225

to-fret?c1225

swallowa1340

devourc1374

upsoup1382

consumea1398

bisweligha1400

founderc1400

absorb1490

to swallow up1531

upsupa1547

incinerate1555

upswallow1591

fire1592

absume1596

abyss1596

worm1604

depredate1626

to gulp downa1644

whelm1667

1490 W. Caxton tr. Boke yf Eneydos xxvii. sig. Gviii^v Take my sowle and delyuere her..from these sorowfulle peynes in whiche I am absorbed in the grete viage of heuynes.

1548 N. Udall et al. tr. Erasmus Paraphr. Newe Test. I. Matt. xvii. f. 5 A bryghte cloude ouershadowed thapostles, lest they should be absorpte and ouercummed with the highnesse of the sighte.

1690 T. Burnet Theory of Earth iii. 85 As to Rome, there is..a more dreadful fate that will attend it; namely, to be absorpt or swallowed up in a lake of fire and brimstone.

1725 W. Broome in A. Pope et al. tr. Homer Odyssey III. xii. 130 Beneath, Charybdis holds her boist'rous reign 'Midst roaring whirlpools, and absorbs the main.

1763 Misc. Corr. in Prose & Verse Nov. 186 The Water of several Ponds was forced up the Banks with great Violence;..others circled round in Eddies absorbing Leaves, Sticks, &c.

1782 W. Cowper On observing Names Little Note in Poems 315 Dark oblivion soon absorbs them all.

2. transitive. To include or incorporate (a thing) so that it loses its separate existence; to assimilate; (now) esp. take control of (a smaller or less powerful entity) and make it a part of a larger one. Chiefly with into, †of, in. Frequently in passive.

ΘΚΠ

the world > relative properties > wholeness > mutual relation of parts to whole > incorporation or inclusion > assimilation or absorption > assimilate or absorb [verb (transitive)]

supa1382

absorb1554

assimilate1578

imbibe1664

obsorb1684

recuperate1967

1554 J. Philpot Trew Rep. Dysputacyon sig. Bii^v The substaunce of the bread is absorpte..in to the humane body of Chryst.

1581 W. Fulke in A. Nowell et al. True Rep. Disput. E. Campion (1584) iii. sig. Y The humanitie of Christ after it was assumpted by the Diuinitie, was absorpte of the same.

1641 J. Jackson True Evangelical Temper i. 69 The Millenaries..expect..that all sowernesse amongst Christians shall be absorpt of Charity.

1659 J. Pearson Expos. Apostles Creed iii. 328 That old conceit of Eutyches..that the humanity was absorp'd and wholly turn'd into the Divinity.

1718 Entertainer No. 21. 144 That Heavenly Bliss, which has absorb'd their Souls in Ravishment and Rapture.

1765 Antiq. in Ann. Reg. 181/1 The waves play, absorbed in each other and again refunded.

1819 W. Irving Sketch Bk. ii. 124 In some countries, the large cities absorb the wealth and fashion of the nation.

1876 E. A. Freeman Hist. Norman Conquest I. ii. 9 Into the English nation his own followers were gradually absorbed.

1944 J. B. Speer Fancyclopaedia 33/2 The Time Traveller..was absorbed by Science Fiction Digest and the combined mag shortly renamed Fantasy Magazine.

1989 Media Internat. May 28/2 Big banks must co-exist with small banks, and not seek to absorb them.

2005 F. Tallis Death in Vienna xxxvi. 203 The cab rattled off and was quickly absorbed into the steady flow of traffic.

a. transitive. Of a substance or body: to take in (a fluid, moisture, etc.); to soak up. Also occasionally intransitive.

ΘΚΠ

the world > matter > liquid > action or process of absorbing > absorb [verb (transitive)]

to suck up1530

haust1542

soakc1555

to take up1597

absorb1604

imbibe1651

inhale1836

sop1888

1604 J. Hanson Time is Turne-coate 64 Melteth by degrees, Drop after drop the weeping Ysciles, And so traduc'd to Dissolution, Are by the thirstie Earth absorb'd each one.

1626 F. Bacon Sylua Syluarum §299 The evils that come of exercise are that it doth absorb and attenuate the moisture of the body.

1707 Philos. Trans. 1706–7 (Royal Soc.) 25 2374 Whether the Muslin absorps the Effluvium,..I cannot tell.

1768 W. Alexander Exper. Ess. i. 28 Taking it for granted..that all the surface of my body will absorb equally with that of my hand.

1813 H. Davy Elements Agric. Chem. i. 13 Animal and vegetable matters deposited in soils are absorbed by plants.

1878 T. H. Huxley Physiography (ed. 2) 24 The clay refuses to absorb the water.

1933 A. W. Barton Text Bk. Heat vii. 159 Dry cotton absorbs some of the water vapour, which gives up its latent heat on condensing.

1978 K. Amis Jake's Thing xxiv. 246 Roast chicken so overcooked that each chunk immediately absorbed every drop of saliva in your mouth.

2009 Wall St. Jrnl. 14 Nov. a3/3 In high doses, tripoly allows shrimp to absorb water, making them appear larger and thus more expensive.

b. transitive. colloquial. To drink or eat, esp. voraciously or with relish. Cf. soak v. 9c.

ΘΚΠ

the world > food and drink > drink > drinking > [verb (transitive)]

drinkc1000

bite?c1225

touchc1384

supc1400

neck?1518

exhaust1555

lug1577

pipe?1578

to suck at1584

slup1598

reswill1614

imbibe1621

tug1698

absorb1821

tipple1824

inhaust1848

down1869

1821 Ladies' Lit. Cabinet 19 May 14/2 His friend had absorbed enough wine to make him dull and lumpish.

1889 Harper's Mag. May 854/1 The terrible Russian General absorbs before his soup a dozen blinies—which are heavy pancakes stuffed with caviare and seasoned with hot melted butter.

1903 A. H. Lewis Black Lion Inn xii. 167 It's as troo as that burgundy you're absorbin'.

1990 Sydney Morning Herald (Nexis) 29 Mar. 56 ‘Supertanker’ would have been equally descriptive, judging from the volume of beer Andre absorbed.

2005 D. Reveles Tequila, Lemon, & Salt 84 He would absorb a few beers, and lay a bet on a horse he knew would spread his wings, and like Pegasus, fly to victory.

4. transitive. To take in (light or other radiation), gaining energy from it and reducing its intensity; (more widely) to interact with (a substance or entity) at a molecular or atomic level and retain it (with or without alteration).

ΘΚΠ

the world > life > biology > biological processes > metabolism > [verb (transitive)] > absorb

absorb1661

the world > matter > chemistry > chemical properties > subject to action relating to chemical properties [verb (transitive)]

repel1638

wet1855

absorb1871

scavenge1955

1661 J. Burton Hist. Eriander 51 Slight and thin bodies (wherein the rayes are absorpt and lose themselves) scatter, or transmit them, so as to evade the eye, or become obscure.

1794 R. J. Sulivan View of Nature I. xiv. 140 Some reflect the rays without producing any change, and those are white; others absorb them all, and cause absolute blackness.

1860 M. Faraday Lect. Forces Matter iii. 64 Whenever a solid body loses some of that force of attraction by means of which it remains solid, heat is absorbed.

1871 H. E. Roscoe Lessons Elem. Chem. (new ed.) xvii. 186 It is found possible to absorb hydrogen in certain metals.

1899 E. Rutherford in London, Edinb. & Dublin Philos. Mag. 5th Ser. 47 123 The α radiation from uranium and its compounds is rapidly absorbed in its passage through gases.

1923 R. Glazebrook Dict. Appl. Physics IV. 582/1 The rays are absorbed according to an exponential law.

1962 R. L. Carson Silent Spring (1965) iii. 36 DDT in powder form is not readily absorbed through the skin.

2009 N.Y. Rev. Bks. 19 Nov. 56/4 Samples of air are passed through a tube containing fine powder, which forces the various molecules in the samples to be absorbed at different points along the tube.

5. transitive. To consume or use up (resources, esp. money); to occupy or take up (time).Sometimes with connotations of disproportionate or detrimental cost.

ΘΚΠ

the world > time > spending time > spend time or allow time to pass [verb (transitive)]

overdoOE

adreeOE

wreaka1300

to draw forthc1300

dispend1340

pass1340

drivea1375

wastec1381

occupyc1384

overpassa1387

to pass over ——a1393

usec1400

spend1423

contrive?a1475

overdrive1487

consumea1500

to pass forth1509

to drive off1517

lead1523

to ride out1529

to wear out, forth1530

to pass away?1550

to put offc1550

shiftc1562

to tire out1563

wear1567

to drive out1570

entertainc1570

expire1589

tire1589

outwear1590

to see out1590

outrun1592

outgo1595

overshoot1597

to pass out1603

fleeta1616

elapse1654

term1654

trickle1657

to put over1679

absorb1686

spin1696

exercise1711

kill1728

to get through ——1748

to get over ——1751

tickc1870

fill1875

the world > action or operation > advantage > usefulness > use (made of things) > using up, expending, or consuming > use up, expend, or consume [verb (transitive)]

spend1297

usea1382

costa1400

consumea1527

to make a hole (in anything)1591

absorb1686

to use up1712

expend1745

to use off1812

to get through ——1833

to go through ——1949

1686 in H. Paton Reg. Privy Council Scotl. (1932) 3rd Ser. XIII. 52 The late Viscount of Frendraughts estate wes absorbed by expyred comprysings befor the Viscountess maried his sone.

1793 Polit. Corr. v. 128 Vast sums..have been absorbed in the vortex of avarice and meanness!

1831 Times 2 Aug. 2/3 We have been..defeated by the long hours (absorbing in fact the whole of the efficient day).

1866 J. E. T. Rogers Hist. Agric. & Prices I. iv. 65 The purchase of a pound of candles would have almost absorbed a workman's daily wages.

1904 Daily Chron. 11 Nov. 5/5 To prevent the tariff-fed Trusts and illegal combinations from absorbing the nation's wealth.

1947 Jrnl. Royal Aeronaut. Soc. 51 308/1 The factor which absorbed the most production time.

1990 E. Forsey Life on Fringe viii. 166 The Constitution and the Statutory Instruments Committee absorbed almost all of my time and energy.

2004 Prima Nov. 71/1 The building work absorbed much of their limited budget, so Debbie and Bill needed to make some cost-cutting choices.

6. transitive. To engage entirely the attention or faculties of; to interest (a person) greatly, engross.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > attention and judgement > attention > attracting attention > engage the attention [verb (transitive)] > hold attention, absorb

swallowc1330

deepc1380

dare1547

suspend1561

preoccupy1567

devour1568

to swallow up1581

enwrap1589

invest1601

steep1603

to take up1603

spell1646

possess1653

enchain1658

engross1661

absorb1749

fix1752

rivet1762

fascinate1782

spell-bind1808

arrest1814

mesmerize1862

to turn on1903

get1913

consume1999

1749 tr. N. A. Pluche Spectacle de la Nature (ed. 2) V. viii. 77 This is a new Kind of Mechanics, which confounds and absorbs the Mind of the most consummate Master of them.

1780 H. Walpole Let. 27 Sept. (1904) XI. 285 How l'esprit du corps absorbs all feelings!

1830 Baroness Bunsen in A. J. C. Hare Life & Lett. Baroness Bunsen (1879) I. ix. 353 [It] could not so far absorb me as to prevent my often turning my back upon it.

1874 F. W. Farrar Silence & Voices of God iii. 52 Let us absorb our entire beings in this one aim.

1922 R. Forbes Quest i. 4 The solution of the problem which absorbed her.

1990 P. Auster Music of Chance i. 8 The work absorbed him and continued to make him happy.

2004 D. Weiner Escape to Reality iv. 24 As much as her daily life absorbed her, Lisa became obsessed with reliving and analyzing every incident of her journey.

a. transitive. To damp (vibration, sound, etc.); to reduce the effect or intensity of (an impact or physical shock).Shock absorption devices are engineered to provide a resisting force to the mechanical energy of an impact, recoil being avoided if the absorption is total.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > manner of action > lack of violence, severity, or intensity > make less violent or severe [verb (transitive)]

temperc1000

keelc1175

slakea1300

abate?c1335

settle1338

swagea1340

modifyc1385

rebatea1398

bate1398

moder1414

releasea1425

remiss?a1425

moderate1435

alethe?1440

delaya1450

appal1470

addulce1477

mollify1496

mean?a1513

relent1535

qualify1536

temperatea1540

aplake1578

slack1589

relaxate1598

milden1603

mitigate1611

relax1612

alleniate1615

allay1628

alloy1634

castigate1653

smoothen1655

tendera1656

mitify1656

meeken1662

remitigate1671

obviscate1684

slacken1685

chastise1704

dulcify1744

absorb1791

demulceate1817

chasten1856

modulate1974

mediate1987

the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > degree, kind, or quality of sound > non-resonance > non-resonant sound [verb (transitive)] > deaden

damp1564

dead1611

deaden1726

absorb1791

muffle1832

mute1841

the world > movement > motion in specific manner > alternating or reciprocating motion > oscillation > vibration > vibrate [verb (transitive)] > impose or act as resisting influence

absorb1791

damp1840

dampen1879

1791 Analyt. Rev. Mar. 279 Sound is absorbed, and conducted by a body more or less, according to the nature of the material.

1829 N.Y. Med. & Physical Jrnl. 2 148 A clear sound is returned from a bony part, covered by skin only, or thin muscles, which do not absorb sound.

1874 D. R. Goudie Goudie's Perpetual Sleigh Road 46 India rubber or metal springs placed between the bottom of the car and the runner..absorb whatever vibration (if any) may be created by the train while in motion.

1900 Harper's Weekly 20 Jan. 63/1 The brake, or attachment for absorbing the recoil of the gun, is a prominent feature of all modern rapid-fire field-pieces.

1914 Aeronaut. Jrnl. 18 315 Carriage, that part of the aircraft..intended..to absorb the shock of alighting.

1947 M. A. Hall & R. F. Kuns in R. F. Kuns & T. C. Plumridge Automobile Fund. 514 The engine mass in a very effective manner serves to absorb this tendency towards movement.

1990 Chicago Sun-Times 30 Nov. i. 94/4 Wide-body racquets today are lighter, stiffer and don't bend or absorb shock the way the wood racquets do.

2004 Independent on Sunday 7 Nov. 11/1 A ‘stop bounce’..involves a deep knee-bend or squat on the trampoline to absorb energy and prevent movements getting out of control.

b. transitive. To be receptive or adaptive to (whatever arises); to accept or cope with (unexpected, unforeseen, or difficult circumstances), esp. without apparent disruption. Also occasionally intransitive.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > doing > activity or occupation > occupy or engage (a person) [verb (transitive)] > conduct (an affair) > deal with (a matter)

takec1175

speedc1374

handc1440

to deal with1469

deduce1528

deal1586

wield1595

cope with1641

tractate1657

handlea1774

job1825

absorb1826

address1838

the world > relative properties > order > agreement, harmony, or congruity > adaptation or adjustment > adapt or adjust [verb (transitive)] > be adapted or adjusted to

comply1676

absorb1826

the world > relative properties > order > agreement, harmony, or congruity > adaptation or adjustment > undergo adaptation [verb (intransitive)]

absorb1892

adapt1910

1826 M. E. Budden Thoughts on Domest. Educ. 254 Let not self..be expected to absorb every thought and every feeling of all around us.

1892 M. A. West in H. L. Hood et al. Young Woman Journalist (Woman's Temperance Publ. Assoc., Chicago) 39 Hers was no passive receptivity; she did not simply absorb, but culled, adapted, digested.

1916 Outlook 27 Sept. 207 He was expected to absorb all this extra cost, for which he was in no way responsible.

1947 N.Y. Times 25 May i. 3/4 Older staff members have had to continue to absorb the bulk of the work load theoretically charged to the untrained persons.

1954 ‘S. Ransome’ Drag Dark xii. 125 [He] took it not nearly so hard—just absorbed it as a hazard of the trade.

1992 New Builder 13 Feb. 22/2 It is only contractors which have ‘the balance sheet to absorb the risk’.

2005 A. Tawhai Festival of Miracles 187 It didn't destroy her or humiliate her. She just absorbed it, and the pain of having loved him was better than if she had never known him at all.

8. transitive. To take in to one's consciousness; to assimilate (external events or information) into one's own experience or knowledge. Also occasionally intransitive.

ΘΚΠ

the world > physical sensation > physical sensibility > [verb (transitive)]

fredec888

haveeOE

yfeeleOE

feelc1175

perceivec1330

comprehendc1374

find?a1425

perceiver1495

to take up1607

sensatea1652

percept1652

to suck ina1661

sense1661

appreciate1787

absorb1840

sensize1861

the mind > mental capacity > perception or cognition > perceive [verb (transitive)]

acknowOE

keepc1000

feelOE

findOE

seeOE

yknowc1275

apperceivec1300

descrivec1300

knowc1300

perceivec1330

taste1340

tellc1390

catcha1398

scenta1398

devisea1400

kena1400

concernc1425

descrya1450

henta1450

apprehend1577

scerne1590

to take in1637

discreevec1650

recognize1795

absorb1840

embrace1852

cognizea1856

cognosce1874

the mind > mental capacity > understanding > understand [verb (transitive)]

yknoweOE

acknowOE

anyeteOE

latchc1000

undernimc1000

understandc1000

underyetec1000

afindOE

knowOE

seeOE

onfangc1175

takec1175

underfindc1200

underfonga1300

undertakea1300

kenc1330

gripea1340

comprehend1340

comprendc1374

espyc1374

perceivea1387

to take for ——?1387

catcha1398

conceivea1398

intenda1400

overtakea1400

tenda1400

havec1405

henta1450

comprise1477

skilla1500

brook1548

apprend1567

compass1576

perstanda1577

endue1590

sound1592

engrasp1593

in1603

fathom1611

resent1614

receivea1616

to take up1617

apprehend1631

to take in1646

grasp1680

understumblec1681

forstand1682

savvy1686

overstand1699

uptake1726

nouse1779

twig1815

undercumstand1824

absorb1840

sense1844

undercumstumble1854

seize1855

intelligize1865

dig1935

society > education > learning > [verb (transitive)] > assimilate ideas

drinka1400

imbibe1555

to eat up1573

devour1581

assimilatea1631

to suck ina1640

absorb1840

1840 Foreign Q. Rev. 24 286 He bends his gaze upon forms of light and love. He absorbs their beauty.

1876 J. Burroughs Winter Sunshine 47 He [sc. the pedestrian] experiences the country he passes through—tastes it, feels it, absorbs it; the traveller in his fine carriage sees it merely.

1915 J. Conrad Victory x. 266 The Schombergian theory of Heyst had become in him a profound conviction, which he had absorbed as naturally as a sponge takes up water.

1960 C. Day Lewis Buried Day ii. 35 I just looked, absorbing such things..and storing them up for a purpose of which I could have no foreknowledge.

1990 L. Grant-Adamson Curse Darkness I. iii. 63 She urged herself to look and absorb.

2009 Wire Jan. 34/1 The auditory pleasure centre of the brain is fried after years of trying to process, absorb, feel too much music in too little time.

This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2011; most recently modified version published online December 2021).

单词	absorb
释义	absorbv. Brit. /əbˈzɔːb/, /əbˈsɔːb/, U.S. /əbˈzɔrb/, /æbˈzɔrb/, /əbˈsɔrb/, /æbˈsɔrb/ Forms: late Middle English– absorb, 1700s absorp. Past participle late Middle English 1600s– absorbed, 1500s absorpte, 1500s–1600s absorpt. Origin: Of multiple origins. Partly a borrowing from French. Partly a borrowing from Latin. Etymons: French absorber; Latin absorbēre. Etymology: < (i) Anglo-Norman and Middle French absorbir, Anglo-Norman and Middle French, French absorber to engulf (mid 11th cent. in Old French as assorber ; also c1200 as assorbir in this sense), to swallow, devour (2nd half of the 12th cent. in Old French as asorbir ), to take in, assimilate (late 12th cent. in Old French), (of a liquid) to soak up (early 16th cent.), and its etymon (ii) classical Latin absorbēre to swallow down, devour, (of water) to engulf, submerge, to swallow up, to soak up < ab- ab- prefix + sorbēre to suck in, < the same Indo-European base as ancient Greek ῥοϕεῖν to gulp down, Armenian arbi I drank, Old Church Slavonic srĭbanije ‘food’ or ‘soup, broth’, Lithuanian srėbti to sip. Compare Old Occitan asorbar , absorbir , Catalan absorbir (a1575), Spanish absorber (2nd half of the 14th cent.), Portuguese absorver (15th cent.), Italian assorbire (a1406). Compare earlier absorpt adj.With the development of classical Latin abs- in French compare discussion at ab- prefix. With forms of the past participle in -pt and perhaps also with the present tense form absorp compare classical Latin absorptus , past participle of absorbēre (see absorpt adj.). †1. transitive. To swallow up, engulf, esp. in a body of water. Also with in. Frequently in passive. Also figurative. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > existence and causation > creation > destruction > destroy [verb (transitive)] > devour, engulf, or consume (of fire, water, etc.) supeOE eatc950 fretc1000 forthnimc1175 forfret?c1225 to-fret?c1225 swallowa1340 devourc1374 upsoup1382 consumea1398 bisweligha1400 founderc1400 absorb1490 to swallow up1531 upsupa1547 incinerate1555 upswallow1591 fire1592 absume1596 abyss1596 worm1604 depredate1626 to gulp downa1644 whelm1667 1490 W. Caxton tr. Boke yf Eneydos xxvii. sig. Gviii^v Take my sowle and delyuere her..from these sorowfulle peynes in whiche I am absorbed in the grete viage of heuynes. 1548 N. Udall et al. tr. Erasmus Paraphr. Newe Test. I. Matt. xvii. f. 5 A bryghte cloude ouershadowed thapostles, lest they should be absorpte and ouercummed with the highnesse of the sighte. 1690 T. Burnet Theory of Earth iii. 85 As to Rome, there is..a more dreadful fate that will attend it; namely, to be absorpt or swallowed up in a lake of fire and brimstone. 1725 W. Broome in A. Pope et al. tr. Homer Odyssey III. xii. 130 Beneath, Charybdis holds her boist'rous reign 'Midst roaring whirlpools, and absorbs the main. 1763 Misc. Corr. in Prose & Verse Nov. 186 The Water of several Ponds was forced up the Banks with great Violence;..others circled round in Eddies absorbing Leaves, Sticks, &c. 1782 W. Cowper On observing Names Little Note in Poems 315 Dark oblivion soon absorbs them all. 2. transitive. To include or incorporate (a thing) so that it loses its separate existence; to assimilate; (now) esp. take control of (a smaller or less powerful entity) and make it a part of a larger one. Chiefly with into, †of, in. Frequently in passive. ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > wholeness > mutual relation of parts to whole > incorporation or inclusion > assimilation or absorption > assimilate or absorb [verb (transitive)] supa1382 absorb1554 assimilate1578 imbibe1664 obsorb1684 recuperate1967 1554 J. Philpot Trew Rep. Dysputacyon sig. Bii^v The substaunce of the bread is absorpte..in to the humane body of Chryst. 1581 W. Fulke in A. Nowell et al. True Rep. Disput. E. Campion (1584) iii. sig. Y The humanitie of Christ after it was assumpted by the Diuinitie, was absorpte of the same. 1641 J. Jackson True Evangelical Temper i. 69 The Millenaries..expect..that all sowernesse amongst Christians shall be absorpt of Charity. 1659 J. Pearson Expos. Apostles Creed iii. 328 That old conceit of Eutyches..that the humanity was absorp'd and wholly turn'd into the Divinity. 1718 Entertainer No. 21. 144 That Heavenly Bliss, which has absorb'd their Souls in Ravishment and Rapture. 1765 Antiq. in Ann. Reg. 181/1 The waves play, absorbed in each other and again refunded. 1819 W. Irving Sketch Bk. ii. 124 In some countries, the large cities absorb the wealth and fashion of the nation. 1876 E. A. Freeman Hist. Norman Conquest I. ii. 9 Into the English nation his own followers were gradually absorbed. 1944 J. B. Speer Fancyclopaedia 33/2 The Time Traveller..was absorbed by Science Fiction Digest and the combined mag shortly renamed Fantasy Magazine. 1989 Media Internat. May 28/2 Big banks must co-exist with small banks, and not seek to absorb them. 2005 F. Tallis Death in Vienna xxxvi. 203 The cab rattled off and was quickly absorbed into the steady flow of traffic. 3. a. transitive. Of a substance or body: to take in (a fluid, moisture, etc.); to soak up. Also occasionally intransitive. ΘΚΠ the world > matter > liquid > action or process of absorbing > absorb [verb (transitive)] to suck up1530 haust1542 soakc1555 to take up1597 absorb1604 imbibe1651 inhale1836 sop1888 1604 J. Hanson Time is Turne-coate 64 Melteth by degrees, Drop after drop the weeping Ysciles, And so traduc'd to Dissolution, Are by the thirstie Earth absorb'd each one. 1626 F. Bacon Sylua Syluarum §299 The evils that come of exercise are that it doth absorb and attenuate the moisture of the body. 1707 Philos. Trans. 1706–7 (Royal Soc.) 25 2374 Whether the Muslin absorps the Effluvium,..I cannot tell. 1768 W. Alexander Exper. Ess. i. 28 Taking it for granted..that all the surface of my body will absorb equally with that of my hand. 1813 H. Davy Elements Agric. Chem. i. 13 Animal and vegetable matters deposited in soils are absorbed by plants. 1878 T. H. Huxley Physiography (ed. 2) 24 The clay refuses to absorb the water. 1933 A. W. Barton Text Bk. Heat vii. 159 Dry cotton absorbs some of the water vapour, which gives up its latent heat on condensing. 1978 K. Amis Jake's Thing xxiv. 246 Roast chicken so overcooked that each chunk immediately absorbed every drop of saliva in your mouth. 2009 Wall St. Jrnl. 14 Nov. a3/3 In high doses, tripoly allows shrimp to absorb water, making them appear larger and thus more expensive. b. transitive. colloquial. To drink or eat, esp. voraciously or with relish. Cf. soak v. 9c. ΘΚΠ the world > food and drink > drink > drinking > [verb (transitive)] drinkc1000 bite?c1225 touchc1384 supc1400 neck?1518 exhaust1555 lug1577 pipe?1578 to suck at1584 slup1598 reswill1614 imbibe1621 tug1698 absorb1821 tipple1824 inhaust1848 down1869 1821 Ladies' Lit. Cabinet 19 May 14/2 His friend had absorbed enough wine to make him dull and lumpish. 1889 Harper's Mag. May 854/1 The terrible Russian General absorbs before his soup a dozen blinies—which are heavy pancakes stuffed with caviare and seasoned with hot melted butter. 1903 A. H. Lewis Black Lion Inn xii. 167 It's as troo as that burgundy you're absorbin'. 1990 Sydney Morning Herald (Nexis) 29 Mar. 56 ‘Supertanker’ would have been equally descriptive, judging from the volume of beer Andre absorbed. 2005 D. Reveles Tequila, Lemon, & Salt 84 He would absorb a few beers, and lay a bet on a horse he knew would spread his wings, and like Pegasus, fly to victory. 4. transitive. To take in (light or other radiation), gaining energy from it and reducing its intensity; (more widely) to interact with (a substance or entity) at a molecular or atomic level and retain it (with or without alteration). ΘΚΠ the world > life > biology > biological processes > metabolism > [verb (transitive)] > absorb absorb1661 the world > matter > chemistry > chemical properties > subject to action relating to chemical properties [verb (transitive)] repel1638 wet1855 absorb1871 scavenge1955 1661 J. Burton Hist. Eriander 51 Slight and thin bodies (wherein the rayes are absorpt and lose themselves) scatter, or transmit them, so as to evade the eye, or become obscure. 1794 R. J. Sulivan View of Nature I. xiv. 140 Some reflect the rays without producing any change, and those are white; others absorb them all, and cause absolute blackness. 1860 M. Faraday Lect. Forces Matter iii. 64 Whenever a solid body loses some of that force of attraction by means of which it remains solid, heat is absorbed. 1871 H. E. Roscoe Lessons Elem. Chem. (new ed.) xvii. 186 It is found possible to absorb hydrogen in certain metals. 1899 E. Rutherford in London, Edinb. & Dublin Philos. Mag. 5th Ser. 47 123 The α radiation from uranium and its compounds is rapidly absorbed in its passage through gases. 1923 R. Glazebrook Dict. Appl. Physics IV. 582/1 The rays are absorbed according to an exponential law. 1962 R. L. Carson Silent Spring (1965) iii. 36 DDT in powder form is not readily absorbed through the skin. 2009 N.Y. Rev. Bks. 19 Nov. 56/4 Samples of air are passed through a tube containing fine powder, which forces the various molecules in the samples to be absorbed at different points along the tube. 5. transitive. To consume or use up (resources, esp. money); to occupy or take up (time).Sometimes with connotations of disproportionate or detrimental cost. ΘΚΠ the world > time > spending time > spend time or allow time to pass [verb (transitive)] overdoOE adreeOE wreaka1300 to draw forthc1300 dispend1340 pass1340 drivea1375 wastec1381 occupyc1384 overpassa1387 to pass over ——a1393 usec1400 spend1423 contrive?a1475 overdrive1487 consumea1500 to pass forth1509 to drive off1517 lead1523 to ride out1529 to wear out, forth1530 to pass away?1550 to put offc1550 shiftc1562 to tire out1563 wear1567 to drive out1570 entertainc1570 expire1589 tire1589 outwear1590 to see out1590 outrun1592 outgo1595 overshoot1597 to pass out1603 fleeta1616 elapse1654 term1654 trickle1657 to put over1679 absorb1686 spin1696 exercise1711 kill1728 to get through ——1748 to get over ——1751 tickc1870 fill1875 the world > action or operation > advantage > usefulness > use (made of things) > using up, expending, or consuming > use up, expend, or consume [verb (transitive)] spend1297 usea1382 costa1400 consumea1527 to make a hole (in anything)1591 absorb1686 to use up1712 expend1745 to use off1812 to get through ——1833 to go through ——1949 1686 in H. Paton Reg. Privy Council Scotl. (1932) 3rd Ser. XIII. 52 The late Viscount of Frendraughts estate wes absorbed by expyred comprysings befor the Viscountess maried his sone. 1793 Polit. Corr. v. 128 Vast sums..have been absorbed in the vortex of avarice and meanness! 1831 Times 2 Aug. 2/3 We have been..defeated by the long hours (absorbing in fact the whole of the efficient day). 1866 J. E. T. Rogers Hist. Agric. & Prices I. iv. 65 The purchase of a pound of candles would have almost absorbed a workman's daily wages. 1904 Daily Chron. 11 Nov. 5/5 To prevent the tariff-fed Trusts and illegal combinations from absorbing the nation's wealth. 1947 Jrnl. Royal Aeronaut. Soc. 51 308/1 The factor which absorbed the most production time. 1990 E. Forsey Life on Fringe viii. 166 The Constitution and the Statutory Instruments Committee absorbed almost all of my time and energy. 2004 Prima Nov. 71/1 The building work absorbed much of their limited budget, so Debbie and Bill needed to make some cost-cutting choices. 6. transitive. To engage entirely the attention or faculties of; to interest (a person) greatly, engross. ΘΚΠ the mind > attention and judgement > attention > attracting attention > engage the attention [verb (transitive)] > hold attention, absorb swallowc1330 deepc1380 dare1547 suspend1561 preoccupy1567 devour1568 to swallow up1581 enwrap1589 invest1601 steep1603 to take up1603 spell1646 possess1653 enchain1658 engross1661 absorb1749 fix1752 rivet1762 fascinate1782 spell-bind1808 arrest1814 mesmerize1862 to turn on1903 get1913 consume1999 1749 tr. N. A. Pluche Spectacle de la Nature (ed. 2) V. viii. 77 This is a new Kind of Mechanics, which confounds and absorbs the Mind of the most consummate Master of them. 1780 H. Walpole Let. 27 Sept. (1904) XI. 285 How l'esprit du corps absorbs all feelings! 1830 Baroness Bunsen in A. J. C. Hare Life & Lett. Baroness Bunsen (1879) I. ix. 353 [It] could not so far absorb me as to prevent my often turning my back upon it. 1874 F. W. Farrar Silence & Voices of God iii. 52 Let us absorb our entire beings in this one aim. 1922 R. Forbes Quest i. 4 The solution of the problem which absorbed her. 1990 P. Auster Music of Chance i. 8 The work absorbed him and continued to make him happy. 2004 D. Weiner Escape to Reality iv. 24 As much as her daily life absorbed her, Lisa became obsessed with reliving and analyzing every incident of her journey. 7. a. transitive. To damp (vibration, sound, etc.); to reduce the effect or intensity of (an impact or physical shock).Shock absorption devices are engineered to provide a resisting force to the mechanical energy of an impact, recoil being avoided if the absorption is total. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > manner of action > lack of violence, severity, or intensity > make less violent or severe [verb (transitive)] temperc1000 keelc1175 slakea1300 abate?c1335 settle1338 swagea1340 modifyc1385 rebatea1398 bate1398 moder1414 releasea1425 remiss?a1425 moderate1435 alethe?1440 delaya1450 appal1470 addulce1477 mollify1496 mean?a1513 relent1535 qualify1536 temperatea1540 aplake1578 slack1589 relaxate1598 milden1603 mitigate1611 relax1612 alleniate1615 allay1628 alloy1634 castigate1653 smoothen1655 tendera1656 mitify1656 meeken1662 remitigate1671 obviscate1684 slacken1685 chastise1704 dulcify1744 absorb1791 demulceate1817 chasten1856 modulate1974 mediate1987 the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > degree, kind, or quality of sound > non-resonance > non-resonant sound [verb (transitive)] > deaden damp1564 dead1611 deaden1726 absorb1791 muffle1832 mute1841 the world > movement > motion in specific manner > alternating or reciprocating motion > oscillation > vibration > vibrate [verb (transitive)] > impose or act as resisting influence absorb1791 damp1840 dampen1879 1791 Analyt. Rev. Mar. 279 Sound is absorbed, and conducted by a body more or less, according to the nature of the material. 1829 N.Y. Med. & Physical Jrnl. 2 148 A clear sound is returned from a bony part, covered by skin only, or thin muscles, which do not absorb sound. 1874 D. R. Goudie Goudie's Perpetual Sleigh Road 46 India rubber or metal springs placed between the bottom of the car and the runner..absorb whatever vibration (if any) may be created by the train while in motion. 1900 Harper's Weekly 20 Jan. 63/1 The brake, or attachment for absorbing the recoil of the gun, is a prominent feature of all modern rapid-fire field-pieces. 1914 Aeronaut. Jrnl. 18 315 Carriage, that part of the aircraft..intended..to absorb the shock of alighting. 1947 M. A. Hall & R. F. Kuns in R. F. Kuns & T. C. Plumridge Automobile Fund. 514 The engine mass in a very effective manner serves to absorb this tendency towards movement. 1990 Chicago Sun-Times 30 Nov. i. 94/4 Wide-body racquets today are lighter, stiffer and don't bend or absorb shock the way the wood racquets do. 2004 Independent on Sunday 7 Nov. 11/1 A ‘stop bounce’..involves a deep knee-bend or squat on the trampoline to absorb energy and prevent movements getting out of control. b. transitive. To be receptive or adaptive to (whatever arises); to accept or cope with (unexpected, unforeseen, or difficult circumstances), esp. without apparent disruption. Also occasionally intransitive. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > doing > activity or occupation > occupy or engage (a person) [verb (transitive)] > conduct (an affair) > deal with (a matter) takec1175 speedc1374 handc1440 to deal with1469 deduce1528 deal1586 wield1595 cope with1641 tractate1657 handlea1774 job1825 absorb1826 address1838 the world > relative properties > order > agreement, harmony, or congruity > adaptation or adjustment > adapt or adjust [verb (transitive)] > be adapted or adjusted to comply1676 absorb1826 the world > relative properties > order > agreement, harmony, or congruity > adaptation or adjustment > undergo adaptation [verb (intransitive)] absorb1892 adapt1910 1826 M. E. Budden Thoughts on Domest. Educ. 254 Let not self..be expected to absorb every thought and every feeling of all around us. 1892 M. A. West in H. L. Hood et al. Young Woman Journalist (Woman's Temperance Publ. Assoc., Chicago) 39 Hers was no passive receptivity; she did not simply absorb, but culled, adapted, digested. 1916 Outlook 27 Sept. 207 He was expected to absorb all this extra cost, for which he was in no way responsible. 1947 N.Y. Times 25 May i. 3/4 Older staff members have had to continue to absorb the bulk of the work load theoretically charged to the untrained persons. 1954 ‘S. Ransome’ Drag Dark xii. 125 [He] took it not nearly so hard—just absorbed it as a hazard of the trade. 1992 New Builder 13 Feb. 22/2 It is only contractors which have ‘the balance sheet to absorb the risk’. 2005 A. Tawhai Festival of Miracles 187 It didn't destroy her or humiliate her. She just absorbed it, and the pain of having loved him was better than if she had never known him at all. 8. transitive. To take in to one's consciousness; to assimilate (external events or information) into one's own experience or knowledge. Also occasionally intransitive. ΘΚΠ the world > physical sensation > physical sensibility > [verb (transitive)] fredec888 haveeOE yfeeleOE feelc1175 perceivec1330 comprehendc1374 find?a1425 perceiver1495 to take up1607 sensatea1652 percept1652 to suck ina1661 sense1661 appreciate1787 absorb1840 sensize1861 the mind > mental capacity > perception or cognition > perceive [verb (transitive)] acknowOE keepc1000 feelOE findOE seeOE yknowc1275 apperceivec1300 descrivec1300 knowc1300 perceivec1330 taste1340 tellc1390 catcha1398 scenta1398 devisea1400 kena1400 concernc1425 descrya1450 henta1450 apprehend1577 scerne1590 to take in1637 discreevec1650 recognize1795 absorb1840 embrace1852 cognizea1856 cognosce1874 the mind > mental capacity > understanding > understand [verb (transitive)] yknoweOE acknowOE anyeteOE latchc1000 undernimc1000 understandc1000 underyetec1000 afindOE knowOE seeOE onfangc1175 takec1175 underfindc1200 underfonga1300 undertakea1300 kenc1330 gripea1340 comprehend1340 comprendc1374 espyc1374 perceivea1387 to take for ——?1387 catcha1398 conceivea1398 intenda1400 overtakea1400 tenda1400 havec1405 henta1450 comprise1477 skilla1500 brook1548 apprend1567 compass1576 perstanda1577 endue1590 sound1592 engrasp1593 in1603 fathom1611 resent1614 receivea1616 to take up1617 apprehend1631 to take in1646 grasp1680 understumblec1681 forstand1682 savvy1686 overstand1699 uptake1726 nouse1779 twig1815 undercumstand1824 absorb1840 sense1844 undercumstumble1854 seize1855 intelligize1865 dig1935 read1956 society > education > learning > [verb (transitive)] > assimilate ideas drinka1400 imbibe1555 to eat up1573 devour1581 assimilatea1631 to suck ina1640 absorb1840 1840 Foreign Q. Rev. 24 286 He bends his gaze upon forms of light and love. He absorbs their beauty. 1876 J. Burroughs Winter Sunshine 47 He [sc. the pedestrian] experiences the country he passes through—tastes it, feels it, absorbs it; the traveller in his fine carriage sees it merely. 1915 J. Conrad Victory x. 266 The Schombergian theory of Heyst had become in him a profound conviction, which he had absorbed as naturally as a sponge takes up water. 1960 C. Day Lewis Buried Day ii. 35 I just looked, absorbing such things..and storing them up for a purpose of which I could have no foreknowledge. 1990 L. Grant-Adamson Curse Darkness I. iii. 63 She urged herself to look and absorb. 2009 Wire Jan. 34/1 The auditory pleasure centre of the brain is fried after years of trying to process, absorb, feel too much music in too little time. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2011; most recently modified version published online December 2021). < v.1490
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