What does reabsorb mean?
Reabsorb means to absorb something again, or to take material or energy back into a system. The word is especially common in scientific and medical writing: an intestine may reabsorb water or nutrients, plants may reabsorb moisture through their roots, and a surrounding material may reabsorb radiation. Unlike the general word absorb, reabsorb highlights the fact that absorption is occurring for a second time or after something has been released, transferred, or lost. In everyday conversation, reabsorb may also describe a person or organisation taking back information, responsibility, or an earlier impression. It is a precise, slightly formal word whose central idea is repeated absorption rather than a fresh and independent uptake.
verbTo absorb again; to take in or assimilate material a second time. It is especially used in scientific, medical, and environmental contexts.
- To absorb again, especially material or energy that has been released or previously taken in.
"The soil gradually reabsorbed the moisture after the rain stopped."
"Plants reabsorb water through their roots after a period of dry weather."
"The surrounding material reabsorbed much of the radiation released by the event."
"The intestine reabsorbs water and electrolytes from undigested material."
Reabsorb is the word for what the body does with nutrients and what materials do with energy: taking it back in.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does reabsorb come from?
Reabsorb was formed in English by combining the prefix re-, meaning again, with absorb. The base absorb comes through Old French absorber from Latin absorbere, a verb built from ad-, meaning to or toward, and sorbere, meaning to suck in. The same Latin root underlies absorption and absorbent, and the prefixed form reabsorb has been used particularly in scientific writing.
Related word forms
How reabsorb is actually used
Reabsorb is more common in technical, scientific, medical, and environmental writing than in everyday speech. It is usually transitive, though it can also be used intransitively when the subject performs the action of absorbing again.
Easily confused with reabsorb
Reassimilate generally means to incorporate again into a system or understanding, while reabsorb more commonly refers to physically taking in material or energy again.