Added 9 October 2026
absorption
/əbˈzɔːp.ʃn̩/ noun
Latin root: absorptiō First recorded: 1597 Wiktionary
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about absorption at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- (chemistry) a process in which one substance permeates another; a fluid permeates or is dissolved by a liquid or solid.
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(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
- The social process of absorbing one cultural group into harmony with another.
Origin
First attested in 1597. From Latin absorptiō (“a sucking in”), from absorbeō (“absorb”). Morphologically absorb + -tion.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)