a-, ab-, abs-

1. The ability of a material or tissue to take in or to collect radiation which depends on temperature and wavelength, which is expressed as the negative common logarithm of the transmittance, or the ratio of transmitted energy to incident energy: The new equipment in the laboratory was able to effectively measure the absorbance of Grace's diseased tissue.
2. A measure of the extent to which a substance transmits light or other electromagnetic radiations: Absorbance varies with factors, such as wavelength, solution concentration, and path length.

1. That which causes or takes something in by sucking it up and incorporating it into something: The new sponge is a great absorbefacient to use when cleaning the windows.
2. An agent that causes the soaking up or the taking in of liquids by solids: Adding the right kind of absorbefacient to the spill on the garage floor made it easier to clean up the mess.

A reference to something that induces, promotes, or causes the passage of substances across and into tissues: In the medical laboratory, Linda was studying the absorbefacient processes of digested food molecules into intestinal cells and the passage of liquids into kidney tubules.

1. That which is capable of attracting and taking substances into itself: Certain cloth materials have greater absorbency than others.
2. A substance or product that can soak up liquids or gases: Are there differences in the absorbencies of salt water versus unsalted water for gases?

1. That which is capable of attracting and including substances into itself: Randy bought a new sponge which is the best absorbent he has ever used.
2. A product or substance which can collect liquids or gases: The new powder-like substance is a great absorbent when cleaning up the oils and grease at the auto mechanic's work shop.
2. Any substance that takes in fluids through its sensible or insensible porosity; applied in a special sense in medicine to such substances as chalk or magnesia that take in the acidity of the stomach: Certain forms of magnesium can work as an absorbent when administered as a laxative.

Cloth material that comes from certain plants that is used in surgical dressings and for other medicinal or cosmetic purposes: The absorbent cotton is always sterilized before it arrives at the hospital and when used during surgery.

A sterile covering of a material that is applied to a wound or incision to remove secretions: Various kinds of absorbent dressings include teflon-coated gauze squares, fluffed gauze, and abdominal bandages.

A fabric or pad with various forms, weights, and uses: Absorbent gauzes may be rolled, single-layered fine fabrics for spiral bandages, or they may be thick, multilayered pads for sterile pressure dressings and there may also be adhesive backings all of which are used to collect or to remove unwanted or harmful fluids.

1. A material or device that collects the sun's radiation: The factory in Julie's town manufactured absorbers for use in the solar energy sector.
2. The material that readily gathers photons to generate charge carriers which are the free electrons or holes: The instructor tried to explain the different materials that could be used as absorbers.

1. The soaking up of liquids by solids, or of gases by solids or liquids: Judy's mother used a special cloth to facilitate the absorption of the spilled milk.
2. The taking up of light or of its rays by black or colored rays: The absorption of the illumination by the black cloth seemed to be adequate.
3. The retention of radiant heat by the body, causing a rise in body temperature: Stanley was feeling quite hot which was caused by the absorption of the heat from the sun when he was at the beach.
4. The reduction in intensity of an X-ray photon as it passes through a substance or a beam of light as it passes through a solution which is used in clinical photometry as well as nuclear methods: At the laboratory the technicians were able to monitor the absorption of the electromagnetic energy as it passed through the blue solution.
5. The passage of a substance through some surface of the body into body fluids and tissues, such as the passage of ether through the respiratory epithelium of the lungs into the blood during anesthesia, or the passage of oil of wintergreen through the skin, which is the result of several processes like diffusion, filtration, and osmosis: Rodney, the anesthesiologist, frequently checked the level of absorption of the ether during the surgery.
6. The process by which a liquid or gas is drawn into the permeable pores of a solid material: The clean gauze bandage slowed the absorption of the blood from the wound.
7. In physiology, the passage of substances across and into tissues, such as the passage of digested food molecules into intestinal cells or the passage of liquid into kidney tubules: The various types of medical absorptions include agglutinin absorption, cutaneous absorption, external absorption, intestinal absorption, parenteral absorption, and pathological absorption.

Referring to anything that has the capacity or tendency to soak up liquids: The absorptive gauzes that the doctors used during the surgery were an essential part of the medical procedures.

1. To refrain from doing or having something: Clarence is abstaining from taking part in the discussion.
2. To withhold from voting for or against something: Seven members casted ballots for the proposal, three were against it, and four abstained.
3. To forebear or to voluntarily do without something by refraining from doing it: It is a struggle to abstain from eating a large slice of chocolate birthday cake.
4. Etymology: from Latin abs-, "from" + tenere, "to hold". © ALL rights are reserved.
© ALL rights are reserved.

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1. A person who chooses to avoid doing something regarded as improper or unhealthy, especially the consumption of alcoholic beverages or the smoking of cigarettes: The members of the club were all abstainers from the use of tobacco.
2. An individual who practices self-denial as a religious discipline: The spiritual hermit on the mountain was renowned as an abstainer from eating meat.

Relating to a person who avoids some activity and does not use harmful substances, such as alcohol, drugs, or fatty foods, etc.: The abstaining couple, Mr. and Mrs. Lawson, improved their health and well-being by not using hard liquor or any other kind of intoxicants anymore.

1. Relating to moderateness when eating and drinking; sober, temperate: Ted's family ate abstemious meals in order to cut down on their overweight conditions.

Abstemious people restrict themselves to the bare necessities of life and prefer an austere, simple, or unassuming lifestyle.

2. Etymology: abs-, ab-, "from, away from" + temetum, "intoxicating drink, mead, wine". © ALL rights are reserved.

Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
for a list of additional Mickey Bach illustrations.