dissolve

verb
/dɪˈzɒlv/UK/dɪˈzɑlv/US

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.

  1. derived from dissoldre
  2. derived from dissolvo — “to loosen up, break apart
  3. inherited from dissolven

Definitions

  1. To terminate a union of multiple members actively, as by disbanding.

    • The ruling party or coalition sometimes dissolves parliament early when the polls are favorable, hoping to reconvene with a larger majority.
  2. To destroy, make disappear.

  3. To liquify, melt into a fluid.

    • as if the world were all dissolved to tears
  4. + 12 more definitions
    1. To be melted, changed into a fluid.

    2. To disintegrate chemically into a solution by immersion into a liquid or other material.

      • There was a legend that Cleopatra was accustomed to dissolve pearls in vinegar and drink the fluid in order to promote her amorousness.
    3. To be disintegrated by such immersion.

    4. To disperse, drive apart a group of persons.

      • Nothing can dissolve us.
    5. To break the continuity of

      To break the continuity of; to disconnect; to loosen; to undo; to separate.

      • Down fell the duke, his joints dissolved asunder.
      • For one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another.
    6. To annul

      To annul; to rescind; to discharge or release.

      • to dissolve an injunction
      • Jon Snow is the legitimate heir to the Targaryen line, by the old rules, of the old government, which was dissolved and reshaped by King Robert.
    7. To shift from one shot to another by having the former fade out as the latter fades in.

    8. To resolve itself as by dissolution.

    9. To solve

      To solve; to clear up; to resolve.

      • dissolved the mystery
      • Make interpretations and dissolve doubts.
    10. To relax by pleasure

      To relax by pleasure; to make powerless.

      • Seraph and Cherub, careleſs of their charge, / And wanton, in full eaſe now live at large: / Unguarded leave the paſſes of the Sky; / And all diſſolv'd in Hallelujahs lye.
    11. To separate a ligature into its component letters.

    12. a form of film punctuation in which there is a gradual transition from one scene to the…

      a form of film punctuation in which there is a gradual transition from one scene to the next

      • While most of the film is done in medium and long shots (connected with dissolves and wipes which lend a lovely period effect)

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

A definitional loop anchored at dissolve. Each word in the ring is defined by the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself. Scroll to it and watch.

01dissolve02actively03active04working05solving06solve07solution08dissolving

A definitional loop anchored at dissolve. Each word in the ring appears in the definition of the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself.

8 hops · closes at dissolve

curated · pre-corpus. live cycle detection across the full graph is the next major milestone.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA