1. (chemistry) a process in which one substance permeates another; a fluid permeates or is dissolved by a liquid or solid; [syn: absorption, soaking up]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
soaking up
n 1: (chemistry) a process in which one substance permeates
another; a fluid permeates or is dissolved by a liquid or
solid [syn: absorption, soaking up]