Definition of Absorption

1. Noun. (chemistry) a process in which one substance permeates another; a fluid permeates or is dissolved by a liquid or solid.

Exact synonyms: Soaking Up
Category relationships: Chemical Science, Chemistry
Specialized synonyms: Imbibition
Generic synonyms: Sorption
Derivative terms: Absorb, Absorb

2. Noun. (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"
Category relationships: Natural Philosophy, Physics
Group relationships: Extinction
Generic synonyms: Action, Activity, Natural Action, Natural Process
Derivative terms: Absorb

3. Noun. The social process of absorbing one cultural group into harmony with another.

4. Noun. The process of absorbing nutrients into the body after digestion.
Exact synonyms: Assimilation
Specialized synonyms: Anabolism, Constructive Metabolism, Malabsorption
Generic synonyms: Biological Process, Organic Process
Derivative terms: Assimilate

5. Noun. Complete attention; intense mental effort.
Exact synonyms: Concentration, Engrossment, Immersion
Generic synonyms: Attention
Specialized synonyms: Centering, Direction, Focal Point, Focus, Focusing, Focussing, Specialism, Study
Derivative terms: Absorb, Concentrate, Engross, Engross, Immerse

6. Noun. The mental state of being preoccupied by something.

Definition of Absorption

1. 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.

Definition of Absorption

1. Noun. The act or process of absorbing or of being absorbed as, ¹

2. Noun. Entire engrossment or occupation of the mind. ¹

3. Noun. (context: electrical engineering) The retaining of electrical energy for a short time after it has been introduced to the dielectric. ¹

4. Noun. The taking on of by a shipping company of special charges by another without price increase. ¹

5. Noun. The natural lessening of radio waves due to atmospheric interference. ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Absorption

1. [n -S]

Medical Definition of Absorption

1. The process of absorbing, specifically: 1. The movement and uptake of substances (liquids and solutes) into cells or across tissues such as skin, intestine and kiidney tubules, by way of diffusion or osmosis. 2. The drawing of a gas or liquid into the pores of a permeable solid. 3. The devotion of thought to one object or activity, with inattention to others. 4. The taking up of energy by matter with which the radiation interacts. 5. The loss of (electromagnetic) energy to a medium. For instance, an electromagnetic wave which propagates through a plasma will set the electrons into motion. If the electrons make collisions with other particles, they will absorb net energy from the wave. 6. A process in which an antigen or antibody is used to pull an analogous antigen or antibody out of a solution. Compare: adsorption. Origin: L. Absorptio (12 Nov 1997)

Lexicographical Neighbors of Absorption

absorbing
absorbingly
absorbition
absorbitions
absorbs
absorbtance
absorbtivities
absorbtivity
absorpt
absorptance
absorptances
absorptiometer
absorptiometers
absorptiometric
absorptiometry
absorption (current term)
absorption band
absorption cell
absorption cells
absorption chromatography
absorption coefficient
absorption coefficients
absorption collapse
absorption dynamometer
absorption dynamometers
absorption edge
absorption edges
absorption factor
absorption factors

Literary usage of Absorption

Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:

1. Journal of the American Chemical Society by American Chemical Society (1879)
"the absorption spectrum as well as the lack of a significant pH effect suggest ... The absorption, CD, and MCD spectra of inosine (IV) in water at pH l are ..."

2. Spectroscopy by Edward Charles Cyril Baly (1905)
"characteristic absorption is considerably modified in the case of the nitrate of a heavy molecule, just in the same way as ..."

3. Physical Optics by Robert Williams Wood (1911)
"CHAPTER XV absorption OF LIGHT THE transmission of light through a material medium is always accompanied by a certain amount of absorption, regardless of ..."

4. Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine (1903)
"Relation of Vitamin D-Dependent Intestinal Calcium-Binding Protein to Calcium absorption during the Ovulatory Cycle in Japanese Quail (40333) RH WASSERMAN* ..."

5. The American Journal of the Medical Sciences by Southern Society for Clinical Investigation (U.S.) (1855)
"The phenomena of absorption are increased at the same time, for the conditions ... There exists a relation between absorption and secretion, just as between ..."

6. The Astrophysical Journal by American Astronomical Society, University of Chicago (1905)
"DISPERSION BANDS IN absorption SPECTRA' BY WH JULIUS The appearance of absorption lines depends on various circumstances. As to the absorption phenomena in ..."

7. Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society Held at Philadelphia for by American Philosophical Society (1909)
"(A report on part of the work on absorption spectra that is being carried out with the aid ... absorption Spectra of Potassium Salts in Aqueous Solutions. ..."

Other Resources:

Search for Absorption on Dictionary.com!Search for Absorption on Thesaurus.com!Search for Absorption on Google!Search for Absorption on Wikipedia!

Search