Word
absorbency
Phoneticsab·sorben·cy
US/əbˈzɔɹbənsi/
UK/ɐbsˈɔːbənsi/
Definition
n. the ability of a material to soak up and hold liquid. You often see this word on the labels of paper towels or baby diapers.
n. the capacity of a material to take in and retain liquid or gas. Often used in technical contexts to describe the properties of filters, textiles, or geological formations.
Examples
“The paper towels have high absorbency.”
“The manufacturer improved the absorbency of the new fabric to make it more effective for cleaning.”
“Geologists measured the soil's absorbency to determine how quickly water would drain after the heavy rainfall, which is critical for predicting flood risk.”
Examples
simple
“The paper towels have high absorbency.”
contextual
“The manufacturer improved the absorbency of the new fabric to make it more effective for cleaning.”
complex
“Geologists measured the soil's absorbency to determine how quickly water would drain after the heavy rainfall, which is critical for predicting flood risk.”
Etymology
From absorbance + -y.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/absorbency