Meaning & use
reabsorb
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Meanings
verbtransitivebiologytechnical
To take in again a substance or material that has previously left or been released.
Grammar: Takes an object: the kidneys reabsorb water.
Patterns
- reabsorb something
- something reabsorbs something
The kidneys reabsorb most of the water that passes through them.
Plants can reabsorb nutrients from their leaves before the leaves fall.
The body will reabsorb the fluid within a few days.
verbtransitivefigurative
To bring something back into a larger group, system or body so that it is part of it again.
Grammar: Used figuratively: the company reabsorbed the smaller division.
Patterns
- reabsorb someone into something
The parent company decided to reabsorb its smaller division.
The village slowly reabsorbed the families who had returned from the city.
Word forms
| third person singular | reabsorbs |
|---|---|
| past tense | reabsorbed |
| past participle | reabsorbed |
| -ing form | reabsorbing |
Common combinations
- reabsorb water
- The colon helps the body reabsorb water.
- reabsorb nutrients
- Trees reabsorb nutrients before autumn.
- reabsorb into the body
- Some of the fluid reabsorbs into the body overnight.
- reabsorb back into
- The gland can reabsorb hormones back into the blood.
Synonyms and how they differ
- resorb
- Resorb is a more technical biological word, especially for bone and tissue, while reabsorb is more widely understood.
- reclaim
- Reclaim means take back something that belonged to you, not necessarily by the body.
- take back in
- Take back in is plain and general, with no scientific tone.
Opposites
Word family
- reabsorption noun
- the process of taking in again
- absorb verb
- to take in
- absorption noun
- the process of taking in
- absorbent adjective
- able to take in liquid
Commonly confused: reabsorb or reabsorb?
reabsorb vs reabsorb
Do not mix with 'resorb' in science: both can appear in biology, but reabsorb is the common choice for kidneys and fluids.
Practice
After the swelling goes down, the body will ______ the extra fluid.
Choose one answer.
Reabsorb means take back in. Exclude and reject suggest keeping out, and disperse means scatter.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “reabsorb”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.