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Absorb vs Focus - What's the difference?

absorb | focus |

In lang=en terms the difference between absorb and focus

is that absorb is to accept or purchase in quantity while focus is to concentrate one’s attention.

As verbs the difference between absorb and focus

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 focus is to cause (rays of light, etc) to converge at a single point.

As a noun focus is

(countable|optics) a point at which reflected or refracted rays of light converge.

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

    focus

    English

    (wikipedia focus)

    Noun

  • (countable, optics) A point at which reflected or refracted rays of light converge.
  • (countable, geometry) A point of a conic at which rays reflected from a curve or surface converge.
  • (uncountable, photography, cinematography) The fact of the convergence of light on the photographic medium.
  • * {{quote-magazine, year=2013, month=July-August, author= Catherine Clabby
  • , magazine=(American Scientist), title= Focus on Everything , passage=Not long ago, it was difficult to produce photographs of tiny creatures with every part in focus'.
  • (uncountable, photography, cinematography) The quality of the convergence of light on the photographic medium.
  • (uncountable) Concentration of attention.
  • (countable, seismology) The exact point of where an earthquake occurs, in three dimensions.
  • (computing, graphical user interface) The indicator of the currently active element in a user interface.
  • (linguistics) The most important word or phrase in a sentence or passage, or the one that imparts information.
  • Verb

  • To cause (rays of light, etc) to converge at a single point.
  • To adjust (a lens, an optical instrument) in order to position an image with respect to the focal plane.
  • You'll need to focus the microscope carefully in order to capture the full detail of this surface.
  • To concentrate one's attention.
  • Focus on passing the test.
  • To concentrate one’s attention.
  • If you're going to beat your competitors, you need to focus .

    Usage notes

    The spellings focusses'', ''focussing'', ''focussed'' are more common in Commonwealth English than in American English, but in both varieties they are less common than the spellings ''focuses'', ''focusing'', ''focused .

    Derived terms

    * focus group * in focus * out of focus