dissolve
Americanverb (used with object)
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to make a solution of, as by mixing with a liquid; pass into solution.
to dissolve salt in water.
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to melt; liquefy.
to dissolve sugar into syrup.
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to undo (a tie or bond); break up (a connection, union, etc.).
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to break up (an assembly or organization); dismiss; disperse.
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Government. to order the termination of (a parliament or other legislative body).
- Synonyms:
- adjourn
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to bring to an end; terminate; destroy.
to dissolve one's hopes.
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to separate into parts or elements; disintegrate.
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to destroy the binding power or influence of.
to dissolve a spell.
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Law. to deprive of force; abrogate; annul.
to dissolve a marriage.
verb (used without object)
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to become dissolved, as in a solvent.
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to become melted or liquefied.
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to disintegrate, break up, or disperse.
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to lose force, intensity, or strength.
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to disappear gradually; fade away.
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to break down emotionally; lose one's composure.
The poor child dissolved in tears.
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Movies, Television. to fade out one shot or scene while simultaneously fading in the next, overlapping the two during the process.
noun
verb
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to go or cause to go into solution
salt dissolves in water
water dissolves sugar
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to become or cause to become liquid; melt
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to disintegrate or disperse
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to come or bring to an end
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to dismiss (a meeting, parliament, etc) or (of a meeting, etc) to be dismissed
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to collapse or cause to collapse emotionally
to dissolve into tears
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to lose or cause to lose distinctness or clarity
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(tr) to terminate legally, as a marriage, etc
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(intr) films television to fade out one scene and replace with another to make two scenes merge imperceptibly ( fast dissolve ) or slowly overlap ( slow dissolve ) over a period of about three or four seconds
noun
Related Words
See melt 1.
Other Word Forms
- dissolvability noun
- dissolvable adjective
- dissolvableness noun
- dissolver noun
- dissolvingly adverb
- nondissolving adjective
- predissolve verb (used with object)
- redissolve verb
- self-dissolved adjective
- undissolvable adjective
- undissolved adjective
- undissolving adjective
Etymology
Origin of dissolve
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin dissolvere “to unloose”; equivalent to dis- 1 + solve
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
On top of that, clouds and droplets form, dissolve, and interact with their surroundings.
From Science Daily
Include reimbursement clauses in the event that your marriage is dissolved.
From MarketWatch
Will the vibes dissolve in a larger city just as the only dusting of snow all week vanished when it touched the sidewalk?
From Los Angeles Times
Oil also allowed passages of bravura brushwork that often dissolved forms in a freewheeling, coloristic haze.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi last week dissolved parliament to call a snap election, a move aimed at bolstering her grip on power.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
