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HOW TO PRONOUNCE

absorb

/æbˈsɔɹb/

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American Pronunciation Guide · 1:03
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What does absorb mean?

verb

  1. To include so that it no longer has separate existence; to overwhelm; to cause to disappear as if by swallowing up; to incorporate; to assimilate; to take in and use up.
  2. To suck up; to drink in; to imbibe, like a sponge or as the lacteals of the body; to chemically take in.
  3. To be absorbed, or sucked in; to sink in.
More meanings (11)

verb

  1. To take in energy and convert it.
  2. in receiving a physical impact or vibration without recoil.
  3. in receiving sound energy without repercussion or echo.
  4. taking in radiant energy and converting it to a different form of energy, like heat.
  5. To engross or engage wholly; to occupy fully.
  6. To occupy or consume time.
  7. To assimilate mentally.
  8. To assume or pay for as part of a commercial transaction.
  9. To defray the costs.
  10. To accept or purchase in quantity.
  11. (obsolete) To engulf, as in water; to swallow up.

Definitions regrouped for readability · CC BY-SA 4.0

IPA pronunciation

/æbˈsɔɹb/

Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0

Other dictionary pronunciations

/æbˈzɔɹb//əbˈsɔɹb//əbˈzɔɹb/
Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0

Pronunciation varies by speaker and region. About these dictionary pronunciations.

In the pages of books

See this word in context.

McLean laughed, for Freckles needed to see or hear only once to absorb learning as the thirsty earth sucks up water.
Gene Stratton-PorterFrecklesProject Gutenberg ebook #111
The tendency of the legislative authority to absorb every other, has been fully displayed and illustrated by examples in some preceding numbers.
Alexander Hamilton; John Jay; James MadisonThe Federalist PapersProject Gutenberg ebook #18
More book examples (3)
The notion that a pupil operating with such material will somehow absorb the intelligence that went originally to its shaping is fallacious.
John DeweyDemocracy and Education: An Introduction to the Philosophy of EducationProject Gutenberg ebook #852
It often continues to absorb CO2 for hundreds or thousands of years before being saturated, as is found in the Egyptian pyramids.
Rufus P. (Rufus Phillips) WilliamsAn Introduction to Chemical ScienceProject Gutenberg ebook #3708
Local economists estimate that the economy must grow between 5% and 6% in real terms annually to absorb all of the new entrants.
United States. Central Intelligence AgencyThe 1993 CIA World FactbookProject Gutenberg ebook #87