solute
Americannoun
-
solutes
plural
noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of solute
1400–50; late Middle English < Latin solūtus, past participle of solvere to loosen, dissolve. See solve
Explanation
Solute is just a few letters short of solution, a substance that is dissolved in liquid. In science classes, a solute might be part of your experiment. Pronounced "SAHL-yoot," the noun solute has close word relatives in dissolve, soluble, and solid — all of which are rooted in the Latin word solvere, meaning "to loosen." A solute changes state when it is dissolved. In sugar water, the solute is the sugar because it changes from solid to liquid. The water is not a solute.
Vocabulary lists containing solute
Chemistry - Introductory
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The ACT Science Test: Chemistry Review 1
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Chemistry - High School
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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.
See Examples For:
Upon solidification, a phase separation into a pure solvent, here ice, and a solute and particles occurs, with the ice templating the solute/particle phase.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 25, 2024
The dissolved solute in a solution will not settle out or separate from the solvent.
From Textbooks ● Feb. 14, 2019
In effect, the solute is drawing the water out of the cell.
From Textbooks ● Apr. 25, 2013
On both sides of the membrane, the water level is the same, but there are different concentrations on each side of a dissolved substance, or solute, that cannot cross the membrane.
From Textbooks ● Apr. 25, 2013
A disregard of this fact, that a solute will always pass from a solution where its osmotic pressure is high, into one where its osmotic pressure is low, is a frequent source of error.
From The Mechanism of Life by Stéphane Leduc
A wide variety of solvents, solutes and particles can be used to create the desired structures, shapes and functionalities.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 25, 2024
Combined, these two effects -- convection and thermophoresis -- drive accumulation and selective up-concentration of the various solutes in different places.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 4, 2024
Water and solutes, such as glycerol, urea, and boric acid, get transported through human Aqp10 depending on concentration gradients across the membrane.
From Science Daily ● Dec. 21, 2023
A second type of vascular tissue is phloem, which transports sugars, proteins, and other solutes through the plant.
From Textbooks ● Apr. 25, 2013
This definition is inexact, since no membrane permeable to water is absolutely impermeable to the solutes.
From The Mechanism of Life by Stéphane Leduc
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