Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Capable of meeting financial obligations.
  • adjective Chemistry Capable of dissolving another substance.
  • noun A substance in which another substance is dissolved, forming a solution.
  • noun A substance, usually a liquid, capable of dissolving another substance.
  • noun Something that solves or explains.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Having the power of dissolving: as, a solvent body.
  • Able or sufficient to pay all just debts: as, a solvent person or estate.
  • noun Any fluid or substance that dissolves or renders other bodies liquid; a menstruum.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Chem.) A substance (usually liquid) suitable for, or employed in, solution, or in dissolving something
  • noun That which resolves.
  • adjective Having the power of dissolving; dissolving.
  • adjective Able or sufficient to pay all just debts.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A liquid that dissolves a solid, liquid, or gaseous solute, resulting in a solution.
  • noun That which resolves.
  • adjective Able to pay all debts as they become due, and having no more liabilities than assets.
  • adjective having the power of dissolving; causing solution.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a liquid substance capable of dissolving other substances
  • noun a statement that solves a problem or explains how to solve the problem
  • adjective capable of meeting financial obligations

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[French, from Latin solvēns, solvent-, present participle of solvere, to loosen; see solve.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From French solvent, from Latin solventem (nominative: solvens, present participle of solvere).

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