v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Absorbed p. pr. & vb. n. Absorbing. ] [ L. absorbere; ab + sorbere to suck in, akin to Gr. &unr_;: cf. F. absorber. ] 1. To swallow up; to engulf; to overwhelm; to cause to disappear as if by swallowing up; to use up; to include. “Dark oblivion soon absorbs them all.” Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

The large cities absorb the wealth and fashion. W. Irving. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To suck up; to drink in; to imbibe; as a sponge or as the lacteals of the body. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To engross or engage wholly; to occupy fully; as, absorbed in study or the pursuit of wealth. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. 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. Nichol. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To Absorb, Engross, Swallow up, Engulf. These words agree in one general idea, that of completely taking up. They are chiefly used in a figurative sense and may be distinguished by a reference to their etymology. We speak of a person as absorbed (lit., drawn in, swallowed up) in study or some other employment of the highest interest. We speak of a person as ebgrossed (lit., seized upon in the gross, or wholly) by something which occupies his whole time and thoughts, as the acquisition of wealth, or the attainment of honor. We speak of a person (under a stronger image) as swallowed up and lost in that which completely occupies his thoughts and feelings, as in grief at the death of a friend, or in the multiplied cares of life. We speak of a person as engulfed in that which (like a gulf) takes in all his hopes and interests; as, engulfed in misery, ruin, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

That grave question which had begun to absorb the Christian mind -- the marriage of the clergy. Milman. [ 1913 Webster ]

Too long hath love engrossed Britannia's stage,
And sunk to softness all our tragic rage. Tickell. [ 1913 Webster ]

Should not the sad occasion swallow up
My other cares? Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

And in destruction's river
Engulf and swallow those. Sir P. Sidney. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state or quality of being absorbable. Graham (Chemistry). [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. absorbable. ] Capable of being absorbed or swallowed up. Kerr. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. 1 wholly absorbed as in thought that engrossed look -- that absorbed and rapt delight
Syn. -- engrossed, intent, rapt, wrapped [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. not allowed to pass through; -- said of radiant waves such as light the absorbed light intensity [ WordNet 1.5 ]

3. taken in through the pores of a surface the absorbed water expanded the sponge [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adv. In a manner as if wholly engrossed or engaged. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. 1 inducing or promoting absorption
Syn. -- sorbefacient [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. Absorptiveness. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. Anything which absorbs. AS [ 1913 Webster ]

The ocean, itself a bad absorbent of heat. Darwin. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Med.) Any substance which absorbs and neutralizes acid fluid in the stomach and bowels, as magnesia, chalk, etc.; also a substance e. g., iodine which acts on the absorbent vessels so as to reduce enlarged and indurated parts. AS [ 1913 Webster ]

3. pl. (Physiol.) The vessels by which the processes of absorption are carried on, as the lymphatics in animals, the extremities of the roots in plants. AS [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. absorbens, p. pr. of absorbere. ] Absorbing; swallowing; absorptive. [ 1913 Webster ]

Absorbent ground (Paint.), a ground prepared for a picture, chiefly with distemper, or water colors, by which the oil is absorbed, and a brilliancy is imparted to the colors. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who, or that which, absorbs. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Swallowing, engrossing; as, an absorbing pursuit. -- Ab*sorb"ing, adv. [1913 Webster]

n. Absorption. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. absorptus, p. p. ] Absorbed. [ Arcahic. ] “Absorpt in care.” Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. absorptio, fr. absorbere. See Absorb. ] 1. The act or process of absorbing or sucking in anything, or of being absorbed and made to disappear; as, the absorption of bodies in a whirlpool, the absorption of a smaller tribe into a larger. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Chem. & Physics) An imbibing or reception by molecular or chemical action; as, the absorption of light, heat, electricity, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Physiol.) In living organisms, the process by which the materials of growth and nutrition are absorbed and conveyed to the tissues and organs. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Entire engrossment or occupation of the mind; as, absorption in some employment. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Having power, capacity, or tendency to absorb or imbibe. E. Darwin. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being absorptive; absorptive power. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Absorptiveness. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ LL., from p. p. accensus. See Accend. ] (R. C. Ch.) One of the functionaries who light and trim the tapers. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of or pertaining to an accessory; as, accessorial agency, accessorial guilt. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In the manner of an accessory; auxiliary. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state of being accessory, or connected subordinately. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. accessorius. See Access, and cf. Accessary. ] Accompanying as a subordinate; aiding in a secondary way; additional; connected as an incident or subordinate to a principal; contributing or contributory; said of persons and things, and, when of persons, usually in a bad sense; as, he was accessory to the riot; accessory sounds in music. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Ash accents the antepenult; and this is not only more regular, but preferable, on account of easiness of pronunciation. Most orhoëpists place the accent on the first syllable. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Accompanying; contributory; auxiliary; subsidiary; subservient; additional; acceding. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Accessories 1. That which belongs to something else deemed the principal; something additional and subordinate. “The aspect and accessories of a den of banditti.” Carlyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Law) Same as Accessary, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Fine Arts) Anything that enters into a work of art without being indispensably necessary, as mere ornamental parts. Elmes. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Abettor; accomplice; ally; coadjutor. See Abettor. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Pertaining to admission. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. to attract and bind (molecules of a substance in a fluid) so as to form a thin layer on the surface, by non-electrostatic forces; to bind by adsorption. Distinguished from absorb, in which the foreign substance penetrates the body of the absorbing material.
Syn. -- surface assimilation [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. 1 the process by which molecules of a substance form a thin film on the surface of a solid. Distinguished from absorption, in which the foreign substance penetrates the body of the absorbing material.
Syn. -- surface assimilation [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adj. 1. having capacity or tendency to adsorb or cause to accumulate on a surface; displaying adsorption. [ Narrower terms: chemisorptive, chemosorptive ] nonadsorbent
Syn. -- adsorbent, surface-assimilative [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. Having power to advise; containing advice; as, an advisory council; their opinion is merely advisory. [ 1913 Webster ]

The General Association has a general advisory superintendence over all the ministers and churches. Trumbull. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L.: cf. F. agresseur. ] The person who first attacks or makes an aggression; he who begins hostility or a quarrel; an assailant. [ 1913 Webster ]

The insolence of the aggressor is usually proportioned to the tameness of the sufferer. Ames. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Allusive. [ R. ] Warburton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L., fr. antecedere, antecessum. See Antecede, Ancestor. ] 1. One who goes before; a predecessor. [ 1913 Webster ]

The successor seldom prosecuting his antecessor's devices. Sir E. Sandys. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An ancestor; a progenitor. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L., fr. antecurrere to run before; ante + currere to run. ] A forerunner; a precursor. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Med.) Of use in curing the itch. -- n. An antipsoric remedy. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n.; pl. Aspersoria [ LL. See Asperse. ] 1. The stoup, basin, or other vessel for holy water in Roman Catholic churches. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A brush for sprinkling holy water; an aspergill. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L., one who sits beside, the assistant of a judge, fr. assid&unr_;re. See Assession. LL., one who arranges of determines the taxes, fr. assid&unr_;re. See Assess, v., and cf. Cessor. ] 1. One appointed or elected to assist a judge or magistrate with his special knowledge of the subject to be decided; as legal assessors, nautical assessors. Mozley & W. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. One who sits by another, as next in dignity, or as an assistant and adviser; an associate in office. [ 1913 Webster ]

Whence to his Son,
The assessor of his throne, he thus began. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

With his ignorance, his inclinations, and his fancy, as his assessors in judgment. I. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. One appointed to assess persons or property for the purpose of taxation. Bouvier. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. assessorial, fr. L. assessor. ] Of or pertaining to an assessor, or to a court of assessors. Coxe. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The office or function of an assessor. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Assorted; p. pr. & vb. n. Assorting. ] [ F. assortir; &unr_; (L. ad) + sortir to cast or draw lots, to obtain by lot, L. sortiri, fr. sors, sortis, lot. See Sort. ] 1. To separate and distribute into classes, as things of a like kind, nature, or quality, or which are suited to a like purpose; to classify; as, to assort goods. [ Rarely applied to persons. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

They appear . . . no ways assorted to those with whom they must associate. Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To furnish with, or make up of, various sorts or a variety of goods; as, to assort a cargo. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To agree; to be in accordance; to be adapted; to suit; to fall into a class or place. Mitford. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Selected; culled. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. assortiment. ] 1. Act of assorting, or distributing into sorts, kinds, or classes. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A collection or quantity of things distributed into kinds or sorts; a number of things assorted. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A collection containing a variety of sorts or kinds adapted to various wants, demands, or purposes; as, an assortment of goods. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Auto- + Gr. &unr_; the itch. ] (Med.) That which is given under the doctrine of administering a patient's own virus. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. bassorine. ] (Chem.) A constituent part of a species of gum from Bassora, as also of gum tragacanth and some gum resins. It is one of the amyloses. Ure. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Med.) A sore on the back or hips caused by lying for a long time in bed. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To assort or be congruous with; to fit, or become. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Such men as may besort your age. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Befitting associates or attendants. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

With such accommodation and besort
As levels with her breeding. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a classification used in some esp. former systems for plants usually placed in the genus Asplenium.
Syn. -- genus Camptosorus. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ L. censor, fr. censere to value, tax. ] 1. (Antiq.) One of two magistrates of Rome who took a register of the number and property of citizens, and who also exercised the office of inspector of morals and conduct. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. One who is empowered to examine manuscripts before they are committed to the press, and to forbid their publication if they contain anything obnoxious; -- an official in some European countries. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. One given to fault-finding; a censurer. [ 1913 Webster ]

Nor can the most circumspect attention, or steady rectitude, escape blame from censors who have no inclination to approve. Rambler. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A critic; a reviewer. [ 1913 Webster ]

Received with caution by the censors of the press. W. Irving. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. suppressed or subjected to censorship; as, the censored press in some countries. Opposite of uncensored. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. 1. Belonging to a censor, or to the correction of public morals. Junius. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Full of censure; censorious. [ 1913 Webster ]

The censorial declamation of Juvenal. T. Warton. [ 1913 Webster ]