Not really...... since the springs absorb the majority of the energy from forces acting against the suspension, the name "shock absorber" is mostly a misnomer. Their purpose is actually to damp spring oscillation and keep the tire contact patch on the road surface as well as return the geometry to neutral as quickly as possible to assist in handling. The correct name would probably be "spring damper", "oscillation damper" or "rebound damper". I'm certain there are many other names that can be used, but the fact that they do help somewhat in absorbing impact shock, I suppose the name is as good as any of the others.

Frank