ABSORPTIVE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does absorptive mean? 

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

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

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

 Dictionary entry details 

• ABSORPTIVE (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)

Derivation:

absorb (become imbued)

absorb (suck or take up or in)

absorptivity ((physics) the property of a body that determines the fraction of the incident radiation or sound flux absorbed or absorbable by the body)

 Context examples 

They have both absorptive and secretory functions, absorbing water, sodium and short-chain fatty acids while secreting bicarbonate and potassium.

(Large Intestinal Glandular Cell, NCI Thesaurus)