adsorb

[ad-sawrb, -zawrb]

verb (used with object)

Physical Chemistry.

1. to gather (a gas, liquid, or dissolved substance) on a surface in a condensed layer.

   Charcoal will adsorb gases.

adsorb

/ ədˈsɔːb, -ˈzɔːb /

verb

1. to undergo or cause to undergo a process in which a substance, usually a gas, accumulates on the surface of a solid forming a thin film, often only one molecule thick Compare absorb

   to adsorb hydrogen on nickel

   oxygen adsorbs on tungsten

Other Word Forms

• adsorption noun
• adsorbable adjective
• adsorbability noun
• adsorbent adjective
• adsorptive adjective
• adsorptively adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of adsorb¹

First recorded in 1880–85; ad- + (ab)sorb

Word History and Origins

Origin of adsorb¹

C19: _ad- + -sorb as in _absorb

Example Sentences

Such AI tools, built using what are known as "large language models" have also displayed bias, as they adsorb the prejudices inherent in the human-generated data on which they are trained.

From BBC

The metal ions make nodes that bind the linkers' arms to form a repeating structure that looks something like a cage; the structure has nanosized pores that adsorb gases, similar to a sponge.

From Science Daily

Like all MOFs, the material features a porous, crystalline array of metal ions and organic linkers, with an internal area equivalent to about six football fields per tablespoon -- a huge area for adsorbing gases.

From Science Daily

First they used classical computers to model how molecules adsorb and desorb from catalyst particles; then they applied their quantum computer to identify the most likely reaction pathway of the electrons and protons involved.

From Science Magazine

Moreover, the presence of adsorbed water molecules in MOFs further reduces their effective thermal conductivity.

From Science Daily