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Hygroscopic vs Absorbent - What's the difference?

hygroscopic | absorbent |

As adjectives the difference between hygroscopic and absorbent

is that hygroscopic is (physics|chemistry) readily taking up and retaining water, especially from the atmosphere while absorbent is having the ability or tendency to absorb; able to soak up liquid easily; absorptive .

As a noun absorbent is

anything which absorbs .

hygroscopic

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • (physics, chemistry) Readily taking up and retaining water, especially from the atmosphere.

    • Related terms

    * hygroscopy * hygroscopicity * hygroscope * hygroscopically

    Antonyms

    * anhygroscopic

    absorbent

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Having the ability or tendency to absorb; able to soak up liquid easily; absorptive.
    • Those paper towels were amazingly absorbent . That was quite a spill.

    Derived terms

    * absorbent ground * nonabsorbent

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • Anything which absorbs.
  • * 1839 , , 1972, Forgotten Books, page 225,
    • In the Southern Ocean the winter is not so excessively cold, but the summer is far less hot, for the clouded sky seldom allows the sun to warm the ocean, itself a bad absorbent of heat: and hence the mean temperature of the year is low.
  • (physiology, pluralized, now, rare) The vessels by which the processes of absorption are carried on, as the lymphatics in animals, the extremities of the roots in plants.
  • (medicine) Any substance which absorbs and neutralizes acid fluid in the stomach and bowels, as magnesia, chalk, etc.; also a substance, e.g., iodine, which acts on the absorbent vessels so as to reduce enlarged and indurated parts.
  • (chemistry) A liquid used in the process of separating gases or volatile liquids, in oil refining.

    • References

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