absorber

noun

ab·​sorb·​er əb-ˈsȯr-bər How to pronounce absorber (audio)
-ˈzȯr-
plural absorbers
: one that absorbs or takes in something
a water absorber
an impact absorber
an eager absorber of information
Tiny liquid cloud droplets are selective absorbers in that they are good absorbers of infrared radiation but poor absorbers of visible solar radiation.C. Donald Ahrens
We still command the most liquid capital markets anywhere, and there is some expectation that we will be an absorber of liquid funds from the rest of the world.J. David Richardson
see also shock absorber

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web The clip for the absorber inside the fuel tank was not secured properly and may detach, which can cause an inaccurate fuel gauge reading. Detroit Free Press, 17 June 2022 The clip for the absorber inside the fuel tank was not secured properly and may detach, which can cause an inaccurate fuel gauge reading. USA TODAY, 16 June 2022 The nine months of the pandemic have shown that in a modern state, capitalism can save the day — but only when the government exercises its power to guide the economy and act as the ultimate absorber of risk. Neil Irwin, New York Times, 14 Nov. 2020 Chances are that the bottom of your hair isn't greasy, so applying an oil absorber all over can just make your hair stiff and lackluster. Sam Escobar, Good Housekeeping, 23 Jan. 2023 In addition to its power generation, TVA helps the U.S. military irradiate tritium-producing burnable absorber rods at Watts Bar. Tribune News Service, al, 6 Aug. 2022 Originally developed for the IE 800, the latter system has been improved upon with the IE 900, and by removing the energy from masking resonances, the absorber system prevents undesired peaks and reveals the subtlest details within the recording. Robert Ross, Robb Report, 17 Aug. 2021 Ground observatories are shrouded in Earth’s atmosphere, which itself is an absorber and scatterer of infrared light. Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Aug. 2021 Soot is a powerful absorber, but recent measurements show modest amounts of it in Greenland snow, according to the researchers. Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 20 June 2014 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'absorber.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

First Known Use

1696, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of absorber was in 1696

Dictionary Entries Near absorber

Cite this Entry

“Absorber.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/absorber. Accessed 28 Mar. 2023.

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