absorber

to absorb

verb ahb-zohr-BEH Rare

Origin: Latin 'absorbere'

Also means

to engross, to take up (time)

Usage Note

Absorber is used for physical absorption (a sponge absorbing water) and figurative uses like time or attention being absorbed. The reflexive s'absorber dans means 'to become engrossed in' something. The related adjective absorbant means both 'absorbent' (materials) and 'absorbing' (captivating).

Examples

"Cette éponge absorbe beaucoup d'eau."

Natural Translation

This sponge absorbs a lot of water.

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