absorb

(əb-sôrb', -zôrb')
tr.v., -sorbed, -sorb·ing, -sorbs.

1. To take (something) in through or as through pores or interstices.
2. To occupy the full attention, interest, or time of; engross. See synonyms at monopolize.
3. To retain (radiation or sound, for example) wholly, without reflection or transmission.
4. To take in; assimilate: immigrants who were absorbed into the social mainstream.
5. To learn; acquire: "Matisse absorbed the lesson and added to it a new language of color" (Peter Plagen).
6. To receive (an impulse) without echo or recoil: a fabric that absorbs sound; a bumper that absorbs impact.
7. To assume or pay for (a cost or costs).
8. To endure; accommodate: couldn't absorb the additional hardships.
9. To use up; consume: The project has absorbed all of our department's resources.

[Middle English, to swallow up, from Old French absorber, from Latin absorbēre : ab-, away; see ab-¹ + sorbēre, to suck.]

absorbability ab·sorb'a·bil'i·ty n.
absorbable ab·sorb'a·ble adj.
absorbedly ab·sorb'ed·ly adv.
absorber ab·sorb'er n.
absorbingly ab·sorb'ing·ly adv.

View more Business & Finance videos

Business: a cost that is treated as an expense rather than passed on to a customer.
Also, a firm merged into an acquiring company.


Cost accounting: indirect manufacturing costs (such as property taxes and insurance) are called absorbed costs. They are differentiated from variable costs (such as direct labor and materials).
See also direct overhead.


Finance: an account that has been combined with related accounts in preparing a financial statement and has lost its separate identity. Also called absorption account or adjunct account.

Securities: issue that an underwriter has completely sold to the public.
Also, in market trading, securities are absorbed as long as there are corresponding orders to buy and sell. The market has reached the absorption point when further assimilation is impossible without an adjustment in price.
See also undigested securities.

Previous:	Absolute Priority Rule, Abrogate
Next:	Absorption Rate, Abusive Tax Shelter

verb

1. To take in (moisture or liquid): drink, imbibe, soak (up), sop up, take up. See give/take/reciprocity.
2. To occupy the full attention of: consume, engross, immerse, monopolize, preoccupy. See awareness/unawareness, excite/bore/interest.
3. To take in and incorporate, especially mentally: assimilate, digest, imbibe, take up. Informal soak (up). See accept/reject.

v

Definition: mentally take in information
Antonyms: misunderstand, not get

v

Definition: occupy complete attention
Antonyms: distract

v

Definition: physically take in a liquid
Antonyms: disperse, dissipate, eject, emit, exude, spew, vomit

1. In a general business sense, when a cost is treated as an expense instead of being passed on to the customer in the form of higher prices.

2. In underwriting, when an issue has been completely sold to the public.

3. In mergers, when an acquired firm is folded into the acquiring company.

Investopedia Says:
The meaning of "absorbed" is similar to the non-financial definition of the term.

Related Links:
Shock Absorber
It's quantity that generates all the hype, but there are more meaningful factors that gauge true performance. Earnings: Quality Means Everything
Determine whether your business is eligible to claim a tax credit for establishing a retirement plan. Tax Credit For Plan Expenses Incurred By Small Businesses
Learn how to use revenue and expenses, among other factors, to break down and analyze a company. Understanding The Income Statement
These figures can either shed light on a company's performance or skew it. Find out why. Understanding Pro-Forma Earnings
To spot the signs of earnings manipulation, you need to know the different ways companies can inflate their figures. Cooking The Books 101
Are these charge-offs fair accounting or earnings manipulation? Learn more here. The Ins and Outs Of In-Process R&D Expenses
Tune out the accounting noise and see whether a company is generating the stuff it needs to sustain itself. The Essentials Of Cash Flow

IN BRIEF: To drink or suck up.

The mind can absorb anything that entertains it.

Tutor's tip: After a substance is "absorbed" (swallowed up), the substance itself is known as an "adsorb."

LearnThatWord.com is a free vocabulary and spelling program where you only pay for results!

sign description: Both hands start with fingers spread and hands apart. They pull upwards and draw together as the fingers close and the fists come together.

---

1. to take in or assimilate, as to take up substances into or across tissues, e.g. the skin or intestine.
2. to stop particles of radiation so that their energy is totally transferred to the absorbing material.

(əbzôrb′)
v

1. etymological: to suck up. v 2. to incorporate or assimilate a liquid or gas into tissue or cells.

For a list of words related to absorb, see:

• Learning and Memory - absorb: take in, learn

---

See words rhyming with "absorb."

  See crossword solutions for the clue Absorb.

Dansk (Danish)
v. tr. - absorbere

Nederlands (Dutch)
absorberen, opvangen

Français (French)
v. tr. - absorber, amortir, s'absorber dans, plonger dans, être tout entier à

Deutsch (German)
v. - absorbieren, aufnehmen, aufsaugen

Ελληνική (Greek)
v. - απορροφώ, αφομοιώνω

Italiano (Italian)
assorbire

Português (Portuguese)
v. - absorver, engolir, beber

Русский (Russian)
впитывать, поглощать

Español (Spanish)
v. tr. - absorber

Svenska (Swedish)
v. - absorbera, suga upp

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
吸收, 使全神贯注, 汲取, 理解

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
v. tr. - 吸收, 使全神貫注, 汲取, 理解

한국어 (Korean)
v. tr. - 흡수하다, 몰두 시키다, 먹다

日本語 (Japanese)
v. - 吸収する, 取り込む, 夢中にさせる, 奪う, 併合する, 夢中にする

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(فعل) يمتص‏

עברית (Hebrew)
v. tr. - ‮ספג, קלט‬

If you are unable to view some languages clearly, click here.

To select your translation preferences click here.