solder

American  

[sod-er] / ˈsɒd ər /

noun

1. any of various alloys fused and applied to the joint between metal objects to unite them without heating the objects to the melting point.

2. anything that joins or unites.

   the solder of their common cause.

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verb (used with object)

1. to join (metal objects) with solder.

2. to join closely and intimately.

   two fates inseparably soldered by misfortune.

3. to mend; repair; patch up.

verb (used without object)

1. to unite things with solder.

2. to become soldered or united; grow together.

solder British  

/ ˈsɒdər, ˈsɒldə /

noun

1. an alloy for joining two metal surfaces by melting the alloy so that it forms a thin layer between the surfaces. Soft solders are alloys of lead and tin; brazing solders are alloys of copper and zinc

2. something that joins things together firmly; a bond

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verb

1. to join or mend or be joined or mended with or as if with solder

Other Word Forms

• desolder verb (used with object)
• resolder verb
• solderable adjective
• solderer noun
• solderless adjective

Etymology

Origin of solder

1325–75; (noun) Middle English soudour < Old French soudure, soldure, derivative of solder to solder < Latin solidāre to make solid, equivalent to solid ( us ) solid + -āre infinitive suffix; (v.) late Middle English, derivative of the noun

Explanation

If you want to be a metalsmith you’ll have to become familiar with solder, which is the substance you use to fuse two metal surfaces. The word solder traces back to the Latin word solidare, meaning “to make solid.” That’s what you use solder for: to make something solid. In this case you are joining two metal surfaces so they appear as one solid piece. The word also has a verb form, also solder, to describe the act of joining the metal pieces. You might use solder, for example, to solder a metal piece on a computer's motherboard.

Example Sentences

So from a young age, I learned how to solder motherboards and inventory microchips and would write marketing materials for COMDEX, which was the big computer trade show back then.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 17, 2024

The federal Safe Drinking Water Act Amendment in 1986 required the use of "lead-free" piping, solder and flux in buildings.

From Science Daily • Nov. 30, 2023

They take weeks to prepare for, as participants source sirens online and solder speakers and amplifiers to frames that sit on cars.

From BBC • Oct. 24, 2023

Many homes built before the 1986 Safe Drinking Water Act have either lead pipes or lead solder in the plumbing systems.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 5, 2023

“Rockets get too hot for solder, looks like. It’s going to take a weld after all.”

From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam

Related Words

• fasten