Dictionary.com
definitions

absorbance

or ab·sorb·an·cy

[ ab-sawr-buh ns or ab-sawr-buh n-see; -zawr- ]
/ æbˈsɔr bəns or æbˈsɔr bən si; -ˈzɔr- /

noun Physics.

the capacity of a substance to absorb radiation, expressed as the common logarithm of the reciprocal of the transmittance of the substance.

RELATED CONTENT

Essential Language From The Star Wars UniverseRead more in this article about some frequently asked questions and fun facts related to our definitions.
READ MORE
Weeping AngelsRead more in this article about some frequently asked questions and fun facts related to our definitions.
READ MORE

Nearby words

  1. absolve,
  2. absonant,
  3. absorb,
  4. absorbable gelatin film,
  5. absorbable suture,
  6. absorbed,
  7. absorbed dose,
  8. absorbefacient,
  9. absorbency,
  10. absorbent

Origin of absorbance

First recorded in 1945–50; absorb(ent) + -ance
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for absorbance

absorbance

/ (əbˈsɔːbəns, -ˈzɔː-) /

noun

physics a measure of the light-absorbing ability of an object, expressed as the logarithm to base 10 of the reciprocal of the internal transmittanceSee transmittance
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medicine definitions for absorbance

absorbance

[ əb-zôr′bəns ]

n.

In spectrophotometry, equal to 2 minus the log of the percentage transmittance of light.extinction optical density
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.