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Absorb vs Sorb - What's the difference?

absorb | sorb |

As verbs the difference between absorb and sorb

is that absorb is 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 while sorb is to absorb or adsorb.

As a noun sorb is

the wild service tree (Sorbus torminalis) of Europe.

absorb

English

Verb

  • 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.
  • * (rfdate) :
  • Dark oblivion soon absorbs them all.
  • * (rfdate) :
  • The large cities absorb the wealth and fashion.
  • (obsolete) To engulf, as in water; to swallow up.
  • *
  • To suck up; to drink in; to imbibe; as a sponge or as the lacteals of the body; to chemically take in.
  • (transitive, physics, chemistry) To take in energy and convert it, as
  • # (physics) in receiving a physical impact or vibration without recoil.
  • # (physics) in receiving sound energy without repercussion or echo.
  • # (physics) taking in radiant energy and converting it to a different form of energy, like heat.
  • Heat, light, and electricity are absorbed in the substances into which they pass.
  • To engross or engage wholly; to occupy fully; as, absorbed in study or in the pursuit of wealth.
  • To occupy or consume time.
  • Assimilate mentally.
  • (business) To assume or pay for as part of a commercial transaction.
  • To defray the costs.
  • To accept or purchase in quantity.
  • Synonyms

    * (to include so that it no longer has separate existence) assimilate, engulf, incorporate, swallow up, overwhelm * (to suck up or drink in) draw, drink in, imbibe, soak up, sop up, suck, suck up, steep, take in, take up * (to consume completely) use up * (to occupy fully) engage, engross, immerse, monopolize, occupy * assume, bear, pay for to take in

    Antonyms

    * emit

    Derived terms

    * absorption * absorbable * absorbability

    References

    Anagrams

    *

    See also

    * adsorb

    sorb

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • The wild service tree (Sorbus torminalis ) of Europe.
  • The rowan tree.
  • The fruit of either of these trees.
  • Derived terms

    * sorb-apple

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (chemistry) To absorb or adsorb.
  • * 1971 , E. K. Duursma, M. G. Gross, Chapter Six: Marine Sediments and Radioactivity'', National Research Council (U.S.) Committee on Oceanography Panel on Radioactivity in the Marine Environment, ''Radioactivity in the marine environment , page 148,
  • In sediments with large cation exchange capacities, as calculated from the mineral composition (Duursma and Eisma, unpublished), the radionuclides were somewhat more strongly sorbed (Figure 2).
  • * 2005 , J. E. Barbash, The Geochemistry of Pesticides'', Barbara Sherwood Lollar (editor), ''Treatise on Geochemistry 9: Environmental Geochemistry , Second Edition, page 548,
  • The exchange of pesticide compounds between aqueous solution and the sorbed phase in soils is not instantaneous.
  • * 2007 , Danny D. Reible, Chapter 21: Contaminant Processes in Sediments'', Marcelo H. GarcĂ­a (editor), ''Sedimentation Engineering: Processes, Management, Modeling, and Practice , page 966,
  • The quantity sorbed is often found to be well represented by the combination of a compartment exhibiting linear, reversible sorption and a compartment that exhibits nonlinear and thermodynamic irreversib[l]e sorption.

    Derived terms

    * sorbed phase

    Anagrams

    * * * ----