Absorption

the act of .
the state or process of being .
-ssimilation; incorporation:
the absorption of small farms into one big one.
uptake of substances by a tissue, as of nutrients through the wall of the intestine.
a taking in or reception by molecular or chemical action, as of gases or liquids.
physics. the removal of energy or particles from a beam by the medium through which the beam propagates.
complete attention or preoccupation; deep engrossment:
absorption in one’s work.
contemporary examples

the progress of absorption is measured in decades, even centuries.
david’s bookclub: the warmth of other suns david frum may 19, 2013

historical examples

ramsay was jerked out of his absorption in the net by two shrill blasts.
the spell of the white sturgeon james arthur kjelgaard

the only hope of the irish people is their absorption in america.
ireland as it is robert john buckley (aka r.j.b.)

every change in the arrangement of the particles he found was accompanied by a definite evolution or an absorption of heat.
scientific american supplement, no. 613, october 1, 1887 various

who knows but even thus is his absorption in g-d accomplished?
dreamers of the ghetto i. zangwill

as he angrily struck another course he realized for the first time how complete his absorption in ahma had become.
terry charles goff thomson

if his absorption was simply in his flying machine, she could wait.
glory of youth temple bailey

in this way he showed that the bark was not necessary for the absorption or transmission of water.
makers of british botany; a collection of biographies by living botanists various

her absorption had peopled the world for her with four people at most.
the coast of chance esther chamberlain

for that he was unconsciously preparing himself by his absorption in the panorama of existence.
norman macleod john wellwood

noun
the process of absorbing or the state of being absorbed
(physiol)

normal -ssimilation by the tissues of the products of digestion
the p-ssage of a gas, fluid, drug, etc, through the mucous membranes or skin

(physics) a reduction of the intensity of any form of radiated energy as a result of energy conversion in a medium, such as the conversion of sound energy into heat
(immunol) the process of removing superfluous antibodies or antigens from a mixture using a reagent
n.

1590s, from latin absorptionem (nominative absorptio), noun of action from past participle stem of absorbere (see absorb).

absorption ab·sorp·tion (əb-sôrp’shən, -zôrp’-)
n.
the taking in or incorporation of something, such as a gas, a liquid, light, or heat.
absorption
(əb-sôrp’shən)

biology the movement of a substance, such as a liquid or solute, across a cell membrane by means of diffusion or osmosis.

chemistry the process by which one substance, such as a solid or liquid, takes up another substance, such as a liquid or gas, through minute pores or sp-ces between its molecules. a paper towel takes up water, and water takes up carbon dioxide, by absorption. compare adsorption.

physics the taking up and storing of energy, such as radiation, light, or sound, without it being reflected or transmitted. during absorption, the energy may change from one form into another. when radiation strikes the electrons in an atom, the electrons move to a higher orbit or state of excitement by absorption of the radiation’s energy.