solvent

English

Etymology

From French solvent, from Latin solventem, accusative singular of solvens, present participle of solvō.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): [ˈsɒlvənt]

Noun

solvent (plural solvents)

1. A liquid that dissolves a solid, liquid, or gaseous solute, resulting in a solution.
   • 2013 July-August, Philip J. Bushnell, “Solvents, Ethanol, Car Crashes & Tolerance”, in American Scientist:

     Furthermore, this increase in risk is comparable to the risk of death from leukemia after long-term exposure to benzene, another solvent, which has the well-known property of causing this type of cancer.

2. That which resolves.

   a solvent of mystery

Part or all of this entry has been imported from the 1913 edition of Webster’s Dictionary, which is now free of copyright and hence in the public domain. The imported definitions may be significantly out of date, and any more recent senses may be completely missing.
(See the entry for solvent in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.)

Translations

liquid that dissolves a solid, liquid, or gaseous solute

• Basque: disolbatzaile
• Bulgarian: разтворител m (raztvorítel)
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 溶劑, 溶剂 (jung⁴ zai¹)

  Mandarin: 溶劑 (zh), 溶剂 (zh) (róngjì)

• Danish: opløsningsmiddel
• Dutch: oplosmiddel (nl)
• Finnish: liuotin (fi)
• French: solvant (fr) m
• German: Lösemittel n, Lösungsmittel (de) n
• Greek: διαλύτης (el) m (dialýtis)
• Hawaiian: ʻūheheʻe
• Hungarian: oldószer (hu)

• Italian: solvente (it) m
• Japanese: 溶媒 (ja) (ようばい, yōbai), 溶剤 (ja) (ようざい, yōzai)
• Maori: tāmeha
• Norwegian: løysemiddel n, solvent m

  Bokmål: løsemiddel f, løsningsmiddel n

  Nynorsk: løysingsmiddel f, n

• Polish: rozpuszczalnik (pl) m
• Portuguese: solvente (pt) m
• Russian: раствори́тель (ru) m (rastvorítelʹ)
• Spanish: disolvente (es) m
• Swedish: lösningsmedel (sv) n
• Tagalog: panlusaw
• Turkish: çözücü (tr)

Adjective

solvent (not comparable)

1. Able to pay all debts as they become due, and having no more liabilities than assets.
2. Having the power of dissolving; causing solution.
   • 2013 July-August, Philip J. Bushnell, “Solvents, Ethanol, Car Crashes & Tolerance”, in American Scientist:

     Surprisingly, this analysis revealed that acute exposure to solvent vapors at concentrations below those associated with long-term effects appears to increase the risk of a fatal automobile accident.

Antonyms

• insolvent

Translations

able to pay all debts

• Basque: kaudimendun
• Bulgarian: платежоспособен (bg) (platežosposóben)
• Czech: solventní
• Esperanto: solventa
• Finnish: maksukykyinen, vakavarainen (fi)
• French: solvable (fr)
• German: solvent (de), zahlungsfähig (de), liquid (de), flüssig (de)

• Greek: διαλυτικός (el) m (dialytikós)
• Italian: solvibile (it)
• Portuguese: solvente (pt) m, f
• Russian: платёжеспосо́бный (ru) (platjóžesposóbnyj)
• Spanish: solvente (es)
• Swedish: solvent (sv)

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French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sɔlv/

Etymology

From older French 'Solver', from Latin solventem

Verb

solvent

1. third-person plural present indicative of soudre
2. third-person plural present subjunctive of soudre

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German

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [zɔlˈvɛnt]

• Audio (Austria)

  (file)

Adjective

solvent

1. (finance) solvent

Synonyms

• zahlungsfähig

Antonyms

• insolvent

Related terms

• Solvenz

Further reading

• solvent in Duden online

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Latin

Verb

solvent

1. third-person plural future active indicative of solvō