The ultraviolet and visible absorption spectra of potassium vapor-xenon mixtures have been studied for [K] and [Xe] as large as 7X 10 17 and 4X 10 19 cm-3 , respectively. Collision-induced absorption is observed in the ultraviolet (285 ~A S 370 nm) for the 4s -nJ, nd (4 ~ n ~ 8) transitions but peak absorption lies an average of -0.6 nm to the red side ofthe position of the electric dipole forbidden line. The 4s -4/, 5Jtransitions, in particular, are quite strong, having peak reduced absorption coefficients measured to be 1.1 X 10-39 and 2.6 X 10-40 cm s , respectively. Also, the KXe (e 2.2") exciIher has been observed in absorption for the first time. Absorption at the band peak (reduced absorption coefficient of -2X 10-40 cm s at A = 507 nm) is roughly two orders of magnitude weaker than that for the analogous bands of CsXe and RbXe and is displaced at least 5 nm to the blue side of the peak ( -520 nm) in the emission spectrum. Six reproducible undulations to the blue side of the absorption maximum display a periodicity of 111 ± 17 cm -I.