(1):

(v. t.) To engross or engage wholly; to occupy fully; as, absorbed in study or the pursuit of wealth.

(2):

(v. t.) To suck up; to drink in; to imbibe; as a sponge or as the lacteals of the body.

(3):

(v. t.) To swallow up; to engulf; to overwhelm; to cause to disappear as if by swallowing up; to use up; to include.

(4):

(v. t.) To take up by cohesive, chemical, or any molecular action, as when charcoal absorbs gases. So heat, light, and electricity are absorbed or taken up in the substances into which they pass.