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Absorb vs. Assimilate — What's the Difference?

Absorb vs. Assimilate — What's the Difference?

Difference Between Absorb and Assimilate

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Absorb

Take in or soak up (energy or a liquid or other substance) by chemical or physical action
Buildings can be designed to absorb and retain heat
Steroids are absorbed into the bloodstream

Assimilate

To consume and incorporate (nutrients) into the body after digestion.

Absorb

Take up the attention of (someone); interest greatly
She sat in an armchair, absorbed in a book
The work absorbed him and continued to make him happy

Assimilate

To transform (food) into living tissue by the process of anabolism; metabolize constructively.

Absorb

To take (something) in through or as through pores or interstices.
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Assimilate

To incorporate and absorb into the mind
Assimilate knowledge.

Absorb

To occupy the attention, interest, or time of; engross
The problem completely absorbed her.

Assimilate

To make similar; cause to resemble.

Absorb

To take up or occupy (one's time or interest, for example).

Assimilate

(Linguistics) To alter (a sound) by assimilation.

Absorb

To retain (radiation or sound, for example) wholly, without reflection or transmission.

Assimilate

To absorb (immigrants or a culturally distinct group) into the prevailing culture.

Absorb

To take in; assimilate
Immigrants who were absorbed into the social mainstream.

Assimilate

To become assimilated.

Absorb

To learn; acquire
"Matisse absorbed the lesson and added to it a new language of color" (Peter Plagen).

Assimilate

(transitive) To incorporate nutrients into the body, especially after digestion.
Food is assimilated and converted into organic tissue.

Absorb

To receive (an impulse) without echo or recoil
A fabric that absorbs sound.
A bumper that absorbs impact.

Assimilate

(transitive) To incorporate or absorb (knowledge) into the mind.
The teacher paused in her lecture to allow the students to assimilate what she had said.

Absorb

To assume or pay for (a cost or costs).

Assimilate

(transitive) To absorb (a person or people) into a community or culture.
The aliens in the science-fiction film wanted to assimilate human beings into their own race.

Absorb

To endure; accommodate
Couldn't absorb the additional hardships.

Assimilate

To liken, compare to something similar.

Absorb

To use up; consume
The project has absorbed all of our department's resources.

Assimilate

(transitive) To bring to a likeness or to conformity; to cause a resemblance between.

Absorb

(transitive) To include so that it no longer has separate existence; to overwhelm; to cause to disappear as if by swallowing up; to incorporate; to assimilate; to take in and use up.

Assimilate

(intransitive) To become similar.

Absorb

To engulf, as in water; to swallow up.

Assimilate

(intransitive) To be incorporated or absorbed into something.

Absorb

(transitive) To suck up; to drink in; to imbibe, like a sponge or as the lacteals of the body; to chemically take in.

Assimilate

Something that is or has been assimilated.

Absorb

(intransitive) To be absorbed, or sucked in; to sink in.
The drops of water slowly absorbed into the dry sponge.

Assimilate

To bring to a likeness or to conformity; to cause a resemblance between.
To assimilate our law to the law of Scotland.
Fast falls a fleecy; the downy flakesAssimilate all objects.

Absorb

To take in energy and convert it.
Heat, light, and electricity are absorbed in the substances into which they pass.

Assimilate

To liken; to compa e.

Absorb

In receiving a physical impact or vibration without recoil.

Assimilate

To appropriate and transform or incorporate into the substance of the assimilating body; to absorb or appropriate, as nourishment; as, food is assimilated and converted into organic tissue.
Hence also animals and vegetables may assimilate their nourishment.
His mind had no power to assimilate the lessons.

Absorb

In receiving sound energy without repercussion or echo.

Assimilate

To become similar or like something else.

Absorb

Taking in radiant energy and converting it to a different form of energy, like heat.

Assimilate

To change and appropriate nourishment so as to make it a part of the substance of the assimilating body.
Aliment easily assimilated or turned into blood.

Absorb

(transitive) To engross or engage wholly; to occupy fully.

Assimilate

To be converted into the substance of the assimilating body; to become incorporated; as, some kinds of food assimilate more readily than others.
I am a foreign material, and cannot assimilate with the church of England.

Absorb

(transitive) To occupy or consume time.

Assimilate

Take up mentally;
He absorbed the knowledge or beliefs of his tribe

Absorb

(transitive) To assimilate mentally.

Assimilate

Become similar to one's environment;
Immigrants often want to assimilate quickly

Absorb

To assume or pay for as part of a commercial transaction.

Assimilate

Make similar;
This country assimilates immigrants very quickly

Absorb

(transitive) To defray the costs.

Assimilate

Take (gas, light or heat) into a solution

Absorb

(transitive) To accept or purchase in quantity.

Assimilate

Become similar in sound;
The nasal assimialates to the following consonant

Absorb

To swallow up; to engulf; to overwhelm; to cause to disappear as if by swallowing up; to use up; to include.
The large cities absorb the wealth and fashion.

Absorb

To suck up; to drink in; to imbibe; as a sponge or as the lacteals of the body.

Absorb

To engross or engage wholly; to occupy fully; as, absorbed in study or the pursuit of wealth.

Absorb

To take up by cohesive, chemical, or any molecular action, as when charcoal absorbs gases. So heat, light, and electricity are absorbed or taken up in the substances into which they pass.
That grave question which had begun to absorb the Christian mind - the marriage of the clergy.
Too long hath love engrossed Britannia's stage,And sunk to softness all our tragic rage.
Should not the sad occasion swallow upMy other cares?
And in destruction's riverEngulf and swallow those.

Absorb

Become imbued;
The liquids, light, and gases absorb

Absorb

Take up mentally;
He absorbed the knowledge or beliefs of his tribe

Absorb

Take up, as of debts or payments;
Absorb the costs for something

Absorb

Take in, also metaphorically;
The sponge absorbs water well
She drew strength from the minister's words

Absorb

Cause to become one with;
The sales tax is absorbed into the state income tax

Absorb

Suck or take up or in;
A black star absorbs all matter

Absorb

Engross (oneself) fully;
He immersed himself into his studies

Absorb

Assimilate or take in;
The immigrants were quickly absorbed into society

Absorb

Engage or engross wholly;
Her interest in butterflies absorbs her completely

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