Meaning

noun (chemistry) a process in which one substance permeates another; a fluid permeates or is dissolved by a liquid or solid

noun (physics) the process in which incident radiated energy is retained without reflection or transmission on passing through a medium

noun the social process of absorbing one cultural group into harmony with another

originEtymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂ep Proto-Indo-European *-o Proto-Indo-European *h₂epó Proto-Italic *ap Latin abder. Latin ab- Proto-Indo-European *srebʰ- Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti Proto-Indo-European *srobʰéyeti Proto-Italic *sorβeō Latin sorbeō Latin absorbeō Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Indo-European *-Hō Proto-Indo-European *-tiHō Proto-Italic *-tiō Latin…

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0