‘摄取’ is a formal, written verb meaning ‘to absorb’ or ‘to take in’, especially nutrients, energy, or information. It combines two characters: 摄 (shè), which conveys the idea of ‘gathering’, ‘drawing in’, or ‘controlling’, and 取 (qǔ), meaning ‘to take’ or ‘to obtain’. Together, they emphasize an active, intentional process of internalizing something from the outside — not just passive reception, but deliberate uptake. The word is commonly used in scientific, medical, nutritional, and educational contexts.

You’ll often see it in discussions about diet (e.g., vitamin absorption), physiology (e.g., how cells absorb oxygen), or learning (e.g., absorbing knowledge). It’s rarely used in casual speech — native speakers usually say 吸收 (xīshōu) or 获取 (huòqǔ) instead — and almost never with concrete, physical objects like food items directly (e.g., you wouldn’t say ‘摄取一个苹果’; you’d say ‘摄取苹果中的维生素’). Its tone is precise and technical, making it frequent in textbooks, health guidelines, and research reports.