solvent
part of speech
noun (a solvent, solvents); adjective (solvent)
meaning for a pupil
1) (science) A solvent is a liquid that dissolves another substance; water is the most common solvent. tree →
2) Solvent can mean a strong chemical liquid that dissolves paint, glue or grease, like white spirit or nail-varnish remover. tree →
3) (money) A person or company that is solvent has enough money to pay all its debts. tree →
sense in the lessons
Science: in a solution, the solvent does the dissolving and the solute is dissolved (salt is the solute, water is the solvent). Safety: many chemical solvents have strong fumes that are harmful to breathe; use them in fresh air, keep them away from flames, and never sniff them. Money and news: a business that is no longer solvent may go bust.
examples
- Water is a solvent for sugar and salt. tree →
- In a solution, the solvent dissolves the solute. tree →
- Dad cleaned the brushes with a solvent. tree →
- Solvent fumes can make you dizzy, so open a window. tree →
- Nail-varnish remover is a solvent. tree →
- The shop is still solvent, though times are hard. tree →
- Sugar dissolves faster in a warm solvent. tree →
note
Countable noun. Opposite of solvent (money) is «insolvent». Do not confuse «solvent» with «solution» (the mixture) or «soluble» (able to dissolve). Water is sometimes called the «universal solvent» because it dissolves so many things, though not everything (not oil).
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «solvent» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.