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. [1913 Webster]
An imbibing or reception by molecular or chemical action; as, the absorption of light, heat, electricity, etc. [1913 Webster]
In living organisms, the process by which the materials of growth and nutrition are absorbed and conveyed to the tissues and organs. [1913 Webster]
Entire engrossment or occupation of the mind; as, absorption in some employment. [1913 Webster]

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OXFORD DICTIONARY

absorption, n.
1 the process or action of absorbing or being absorbed.
2 disappearance through incorporation into something else.
3 mental engrossment.

Derivative

absorptive adj.

Etymology

L absorptio (as ABSORB)

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THESAURUS

absorption

Walter Mitty, ablation, absence of mind, absentmindedness, absorbed attention, absorbency, absorbent, abstractedness, abstraction, adsorbent, adsorption, application, assimilation, attrition, bemusement, bile, blotter, blotting, blotting paper, brown study, burning up, castle-building, chemisorption, chemosorption, close study, concentration, consumption, contemplation, contemplativeness, daydream, daydreamer, daydreaming, deep study, deep thought, depletion, depth of thought, digestion, digestive system, drain, dream, dreaming, eating up, embarrassment, endosmosis, engagement, engrossment, enmeshment, entanglement, erosion, exhaustion, exosmosis, expending, expenditure, fantasy, fantasying, finishing, fit of abstraction, gastric juice, gastrointestinal tract, imbibing, immersion, implication, impoverishment, inclusion, infiltration, ingestion, intentness, intestinal juice, involution, involvement, liver, meditation, melancholy, monomania, mooning, moonraking, muse, musefulness, musing, muted ecstasy, obsession, osmosis, pancreas, pancreatic digestion, pancreatic juice, pensiveness, percolation, pipe dream, pipe-dreaming, predigestion, preoccupation, profound thought, rapt attention, reflectiveness, relation, reverie, saliva, salivary digestion, salivary glands, secondary digestion, seepage, single-mindedness, soaking-up, sorption, speculativeness, spending, sponge, sponging, squandering, stargazing, studiousness, study, submersion, taking-in, thoughtfulness, trance, using up, wastage, waste, wastefulness, wasting away, wearing away, wearing down, wistfulness, woolgathering

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ROGET THESAURUS

absorption

Combination

N combination, mixture, junction, union, unification, synthesis, incorporation, amalgamation, embodiment, coalescence, crasis, fusion, blending, absorption, centralization, alloy, compound, amalgam, composition, tertium quid, resultant, impregnation, combined, impregnated with, ingrained, imbued inoculated.

Reception

N reception, admission, admittance, entree, importation, introduction, intromission, immission, ingestion, imbibation, introception, absorption, ingurgitation, inhalation, suction, sucking, eating, drinking, insertion, interjection, introit, admitting, admitted, admissable, absorbent.

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