adsorb

A1D2S1O1R1B3
UK/ədˈzɔːb/UK/ədˈsɔːb/

verb

To accumulate on a surface, by adsorption.

“The gas was purified by adsorbing the impurities onto active carbon.”

OriginFrench adsorber ← Latin ad- →
UncommonScrabble 9
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Meanings

verbadsorb (third-person singular simple present adsorbs, present participle adsorbing, simple past and past participle adsorbed)

present singular third person adsorbs · participle present adsorbing · participle past adsorbed · past adsorbed

  1. physicaltransitivechemistryTo accumulate on a surface, by adsorption.

    The gas was purified by adsorbing the impurities onto active carbon.

Origin

  1. Latinad-“to”
  2. Frenchadsorber
  3. Englishadsorb

From French adsorber, from Latin ad- (“to”) + sorbeō (“suck in”).

More words from French, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian адсорби́рам
  • адсорби́рам (adsorbíram)to accumulate on a surface
Catalan adsorbir
  • adsorbirto accumulate on a surface
Czech adsorbovat
  • adsorbovatto accumulate on a surface
Finnish pidättää, adsorboida
  • pidättääto accumulate on a surface
  • adsorboidato accumulate on a surface
French adsorber
  • adsorberto accumulate on a surface
German adsorbieren
  • adsorbierento accumulate on a surface
Greek προσροφώ
  • προσροφώ (prosrofó)to accumulate on a surface
Hungarian adszorbeál, (felületen) megköt
  • adszorbeálto accumulate on a surface
  • (felületen) megkötto accumulate on a surface
  • (felületileg) elnyel/lekötto accumulate on a surface
Irish asúigh
  • asúighto accumulate on a surface
Italian adsorbire
  • adsorbireto accumulate on a surface
Latin absorbere
  • absorbereto accumulate on a surface
Polish adsorbować, zaadsorbować
  • adsorbowaćto accumulate on a surface
  • zaadsorbowaćto accumulate on a surface
Portuguese adsorver
  • adsorverto accumulate on a surface
Romanian adsorbi
  • adsorbito accumulate on a surface
Russian адсорби́ровать
  • адсорби́ровать (adsorbírovatʹ)to accumulate on a surface
Spanish adsorber
  • adsorberto accumulate on a surface
Vietnamese hấp phụ
  • hấp phụto accumulate on a surface

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with adsorb

absorborbzorbcorbeinorbsea orb
All rhymes →

Anagrams

boardsbroadsBordasadorbs
Cite this entry
APA

adsorb. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/adsorb

MLA

“adsorb.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/adsorb. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “adsorb,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/adsorb.

Source: adsorb on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.