dissolve

B1 Topic:Materials & Substances

US /dɪˈzɑlv/ UK /dɪˈzɒlv/ See IPA manual

verb Freq #13434

Meanings

1

verb
To mix into a liquid and become part of it.

The sugar quickly dissolved in the hot coffee.
2

verb
To make a solid mix completely into a liquid.

Dissolve a cup of sugar in two cups of water.
3

verb
To officially end an organization, marriage, or formal arrangement.

The court formally dissolved their marriage.
4

verb
To gradually disappear or fade away.

Her anger slowly dissolved as he explained what had happened.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 verb · to make a solid mix... resolve

3 verb · to officially end an... break up dismiss

Word family

Forms dissolveddissolvesdissolving

Derived forms codissolvedissolvabilitydissolvabledissolvementdissolverdissolvibledissolvinglynondissolvingredissolveundissolving

Related forms melt

Etymology

Recorded since c. 1374 (displacing Old English toliesan) as Middle English dissolven, from Latin dissolvere (“to loosen up, break apart”) but with the sense from Anglo-Norman dissoldre (variant of Old French dissoudre), itself from dis- (“apart”) + solvere (“to loose, loosen”). By surface analysis, dis- + solve.

*lewh₁- Proto-Indo-European dissolven Middle English dissolvo Latin dissoldre xno

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Materials & Substances Cause, Change & Process Register & Style

# dissolve

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** dɪˈzɑlv
**IPA (UK):** dɪˈzɒlv
**Frequency rank:** 13434

## Meanings
1. To mix into a liquid and become part of it.
2. To make a solid mix completely into a liquid.
3. To officially end an organization, marriage, or formal arrangement.
4. To gradually disappear or fade away.

## Examples
- The sugar quickly dissolved in the hot coffee.
- Dissolve a cup of sugar in two cups of water.
- The court formally dissolved their marriage.
- Her anger slowly dissolved as he explained what had happened.

## Derived Forms
- codissolve
- dissolvability
- dissolvable
- dissolvement
- dissolver
- dissolvible
- dissolvingly
- nondissolving
- redissolve
- undissolving

## Related Forms
- melt

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *lewh₁-
- Root: dissolven
- Root: dissolvo
- Root: dissoldre

## Etymology
Recorded since c. 1374 (displacing Old English toliesan) as Middle English dissolven, from Latin dissolvere (“to loosen up, break apart”) but with the sense from Anglo-Norman dissoldre (variant of Old French dissoudre), itself from dis- (“apart”) + solvere (“to loose, loosen”). By surface analysis, dis- + solve.

## AI Etymology
Dissolve: Recorded since c. 1374 (displacing Old English toliesan) as Middle English dissolven, from Latin dissolvere (“to loosen up, break apart”) but with the sense from Anglo-Norman dissoldre (variant of Old French dissoudre), itself from dis- (“apart”) + solvere (“to loose, loosen”). By surface analysis, dis- + solve. In current use, the main senses are “To mix into a liquid and become part of it” and “To make a solid mix completely into a liquid”.

## Topics
- Materials & Substances
- Cause, Change & Process
- Register & Style

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dissolve

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