Etymology

absorbed

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Today it means: Fully occupied with one's thoughts; engrossed. Full definition →

First used First attested in the mid 18ᵗʰ century.English absorb ← Middle French absorber ← Old French assorbir
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₂ep
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₂epó
  3. Proto-Italic*ap
  4. Latinab
  5. Latinab-
  6. Proto-Indo-European*srebʰ-
  7. Proto-Indo-European*srobʰéyeti
  8. Proto-Italic*sorβeō
  9. Latinsorbeō
  10. Latinabsorbeō
  11. Old Frenchassorbir
  12. Middle Frenchabsorber
  13. Englishabsorb
  14. English todayabsorbed

From absorb + -ed.

First known use, by meaning

  • First attested in the mid 18ᵗʰ century. Fully occupied with one's thoughts; engrossed.
  • First attested in the mid 18ᵗʰ century. That has been taken in, engulfed, imbibed, or assimilated.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.