water absorption
1
3.5
- noun
- /ˈwɔːtər əbˈzɔːrpʃən/
- Specialized
:
absorción de agua
- To evaluate the water absorption, the scientist weighed the material before and after immersing it in water.
- low water absorption
- less water absorption
Examples
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Salinity in the soil affects the germination process in several ways, such as prevention of water absorption, ionic stress, and reduction of enzyme activities within the seeds.
Academic text (2014) -
"There's no water absorption and, as a result, less warping and decay."
Academic text (1996) -
The water absorption helps reduce your water use.
Blog text (3) -
It's about a new standard method for determining water absorption of stone.
Blog text (16) -
Perlite works particularly well in wick systems because of its water-absorption properties.
Academic text (2009) -
Water absorption greatly reduces their weight-bearing strength.
Academic text (2007) -
Soils in European rotational agriculture using animal power have been found to have 7 times the water absorption of Monsanto's "Zero Til."
Blog text (23) -
Healthy soils provide water absorption, groundwater recharge, food for plants, habitat for decomposers, and sequester carbon.
Blog text (14) -
Its water absorption is low, less than 1 percent of the total weight of the stone, and so in rain or high relative humidity, travertine retains about 80 percent of its compressive strength.
Academic text (2007) -
Instead, they preserved the porous stone with stucco or with travertine or marble cladding, whose water absorption is far less than that of the tuffs.
Academic text (2007)
Synonyms
21
4.6
A material takes in energy or a substance from another material
14
3.7
The process of something taking in water
6
5.1
The body takes in a substance like food or liquid
3
4.8
The amount of liquid a material soaks up
The taking in of liquid, for example when seeds take in water
How Absorbent
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'process or amount of water a material takes in' is directly and compositionally derived from 'water' (the substance) + 'absorption' (the process of taking up a substance). This noun+noun compound follows common, cross-linguistic patterns and would be understandable to a B1 learner who knows both constituent words.
Etymology
Water absorption is like a simple image: imagine a sponge or a brick put into water that 'soaks up' water into its tiny holes. So, absorption means 'taking in', and the phrase tells how much water a material 'takes in'.