An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

1. General: The process or fact of absorbing.
   

2. Physics: The action of energy or matter penetrating or being assimilated into a body of matter with no reflection or emission. → adsorption,
   → desorption, → sorption.
   

See also: → absorption band, → absorption coefficient, → absorption curve, → absorption feature, → absorption line, → absorption nebula, → absorption spectrum, → atmospheric absorption, → discrete absorption component, → foreground absorption, → intergalactic absorption, → internal absorption, → interstellar absorption, → mass absorption coefficient, → photoabsorption, → selective absorption, → self-absorption.

See also: Verbal noun of → absorb; → -tion, from L. absorptionem.