ABSORBENT

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does absorbent mean? 

• ABSORBENT (noun)
  The noun ABSORBENT has 1 sense:

1. a material having capacity or tendency to absorb another substance

  Familiarity information: ABSORBENT used as a noun is very rare.

• ABSORBENT (adjective)
  The adjective ABSORBENT has 1 sense:

1. having power or capacity or tendency to absorb or soak up something (liquids or energy etc.)

  Familiarity information: ABSORBENT used as an adjective is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ABSORBENT (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A material having capacity or tendency to absorb another substance

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Synonyms:

absorbent; absorbent material

Hypernyms ("absorbent" is a kind of...):

sorbent; sorbent material (a material that sorbs another substance; i.e. that has the capacity or tendency to take it up by either absorption or adsorption)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "absorbent"):

sponge (a porous mass of interlacing fibers that forms the internal skeleton of various marine animals and usable to absorb water or any porous rubber or cellulose product similarly used)

absorber ((physics) material in a nuclear reactor that absorbs radiation)

absorbent cotton (cotton made absorbent by removal of the natural wax)

Derivation:

absorb (become imbued)

• ABSORBENT (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Having power or capacity or tendency to absorb or soak up something (liquids or energy etc.)

Synonyms:

absorbent; absorptive

Context example:

as absorbent as a sponge

Similar:

absorbefacient; sorbefacient (inducing or promoting absorption)

assimilating; assimilative; assimilatory (capable of taking (gas, light, or liquids) into a solution)

hygroscopic (absorbing moisture (as from the air))

receptive (able to absorb liquid (not repellent))

shock-absorbent (having the capacity to absorb the energy of an impact)

spongelike; spongy (like a sponge in being able to absorb liquids and yield it back when compressed)

thirsty (able to take in large quantities of moisture)

Attribute:

absorbency (the property of being absorbent)

Antonym:

nonabsorbent (not capable of absorbing or soaking up (liquids))

Derivation:

absorb (become imbued)

absorb (suck or take up or in)

absorbency (the property of being absorbent)

 Context examples 

A solid composed of a porous, interlacing, absorbent, usually shape retaining material that contains active and/or inert ingredient(s).

(Medicated Sponge Dosage Form, NCI Thesaurus)

A solid composed of active and/or inert ingredient(s) on a small piece of absorbent material attached to one end of a stick.

(Medicated Swab Dosage Form, NCI Thesaurus)

A solid composed of a small piece of absorbent material that does not contain active ingredient(s), attached to one end of a small stick.

(Non-Medicated Swab Dosage Form, NCI Thesaurus)

A solid composed of a soft, non-adhesive and absorbent piece of fabric or other material.

(Pad Dosage Form, NCI Thesaurus)

A solid composed of active and/or inert ingredient(s) in a soft, non-adhesive and absorbent piece of fabric or other material.

(Medicated Pad Dosage Form, NCI Thesaurus)

A large piece of relatively flat, absorbent material that contains a drug.

(Cloth Dosage Form, NCI Thesaurus/CDISC)

MIT’s cutting-edge technique simply requires a laser and an absorbent gel (commonly used in baby diapers) — materials that most biology and engineering labs already have.

(Researchers Use Laser to Shrink Objects to Nanoscale, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

A solid composed active and/or inert ingredient(s) in a woven absorbent material.

(Cloth Dosage Form, NCI Thesaurus)

He felt like sitting at the feet of the professor, worshipful and absorbent; but, as he listened, he began to discern a weakness in the other's judgments—a weakness so stray and elusive that he might not have caught it had it not been ever present.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Using a laser, researchers make a structure with absorbent gel — akin to writing with a pen in 3D.

(Researchers Use Laser to Shrink Objects to Nanoscale, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)