Adsorb
/ədˈsɔːrb/noun
To accumulate molecules, atoms, or ions on the surface of a material.
Did you know?Adsorb was coined in modern scientific Latin from ad- (“to, toward”) + sorbere (“to suck in, sip”), and it exists specifically to distinguish surface adhesion from true absorption.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*swor- / *ser-
“A root associated with sucking, sipping, or drawing in”
Latin
Latin
sorbere
“To suck in, sip, or swallow”
Modern Scientific Latin
Latin
adsorbere
“To draw to the surface by attraction”
19th Century
English
adsorb
“To collect molecules on a surface rather than into the bulk of a substance”
Modern English
English
adsorb
“To adhere to a surface by chemical attraction”