FinnHun Finnish-Hungarian-English on-line dictionary and thesaurus

a Having the ability or tendency to absorb; able to soak up liquid easily; absorptive. (defdate|First attested in the early 18^th century.)(reference-book | last =| first = | authorlink = | coauthors = | editor =Brown, Lesley | others = | title = The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary | origdate = | origyear = 1933| origmonth = | url = | format = | accessdate = | accessyear = | accessmonth = | edition = 5th | date = | year =2003| month = | publisher =Oxford University Press | location =Oxford, UK | language = | id = | doi = | isbn =978-0-19-860575-7 | lccn = | ol = | pages =9| chapter = | chapterurl = | quote =)

n Anything which absorbs. (defdate|First attested in the early 18^th century.)

n (physiology|pluralized|nowadays|rare) The vessels by which the processes of absorption are carried on, as the lymphatics in animals, the extremities of the roots in plants. (defdate|First attested in the mid 18^th century.)

n (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.

n (chemistry) A liquid used in the process of separating gases or volatile liquids, in oil refining.