dissolve
dissolve Lexical Profile
dissolve Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To become or cause a solid to become incorporated into a liquid so as to form a homogeneous solution.
"Stir the warm water until the salt crystals completely dissolve."
To formally close down, dismiss, or terminate an official assembly, partnership, marriage, or organization.
"The prime minister requested that the monarch dissolve parliament ahead of the general election."
To fade away, disappear, or subside gradually.
"His initial confidence began to dissolve as the interview questions grew more technical."
To give way suddenly and uncontrollably to a strong display of emotion (typically followed by 'into', such as tears or laughter).
"The actors tried to remain serious, but a missed cue caused the entire cast to dissolve into laughter."
• noun
A cinematic transition in which one image or scene gradually fades out while the next simultaneously fades in.
"The film editor used a slow dissolve to indicate the passage of several years between the two scenes."
Word Nuance & Usage
In scientific contexts, 'dissolve' specifically requires a solute to disperse into a solvent (such as sugar in water), whereas 'melt' refers to a solid changing into a liquid purely through heat.
• Rhymes for dissolve
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in Middle English from Latin dissolvere ('to loosen asunder or disunite'), formed from dis- ('apart') and solvere ('to loosen or release').