absorbent
absorbent Lexical Profile
absorbent Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Able to soak up liquid, moisture, energy, or other substances easily.
"Use an absorbent microfiber cloth to blot the spilled coffee from the carpet before it leaves a stain."
• noun
A material or substance capable of soaking up liquids, gases, or radiant energy.
"Laboratory technicians keep chemical absorbents on hand to safely contain accidental acid spills."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse 'absorbent' (taking a substance into the interior or bulk of a material, like a sponge soaking up water) with 'adsorbent' (gathering a gas, liquid, or dissolved substance as a thin film on the outer surface, like activated charcoal trapping toxins).
• Rhymes for absorbent
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the early 18th century from Latin absorbēns (stem absorbent-), the present participle of absorbēre ('to swallow up, devour'), formed from ab- ('from, away') and sorbēre ('to suck in').