'color-absorbent' originates from the combination of 'color' and 'absorbent', where 'color' refers to the property of an object that produces different sensations on the eye as a result of the way it reflects or emits light, and 'absorbent' refers to the ability to soak up liquid or moisture.

'color' and 'absorbent' have been used in English since the Middle Ages, with 'color' deriving from the Latin 'color' and 'absorbent' from the Latin 'absorbere'.

Initially, 'absorbent' meant 'to soak up', and when combined with 'color', it evolved to mean 'having the ability to soak up colors or pigments'.