Adjacent Words

Solve definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

SOLVE, v.t. solv. [L. solvo.]
1. Properly, to loosen or separate the parts of any thing; hence, to explain; to resolve; to eclaircise; to unfold; to clear up; as what is obscure or difficult to be understood; as, to solve questions; to solve difficulties or a problem. When God shall solve the dark decrees of fate.
2. To remove; to dissipate; as, to solve doubts.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: find the solution to (a problem or question) or understand the meaning of; "did you solve the problem?"; "Work out your problems with the boss"; "this unpleasant situation isn't going to work itself out"; "did you get it?"; "Did you get my meaning?"; "He could not work the math problem" [syn: solve, work out, figure out, puzzle out, lick, work]
2: find the solution; "solve an equation"; "solve for x" [syn: resolve, solve]
3: settle, as of a debt; "clear a debt"; "solve an old debt" [syn: clear, solve]

Merriam Webster's

verb (solved; solving) Etymology: Middle English, to loosen, from Latin solvere to loosen, solve, dissolve, from sed-, se- apart + luere to release — more at secede, lose Date: circa 1533 transitive verb 1. to find a solution, explanation, or answer for <solve a problem> <solved the crime> 2. to pay (as a debt) in full intransitive verb to solve something <substitute and solve for x> • solver noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v.tr. find an answer to, or an action or course that removes or effectively deals with (a problem or difficulty). Derivatives: solvable adj. solver n. Etymology: ME, = loosen, f. L solvere solut- unfasten, release

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Solve Solve (s[o^]lv), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Solved (s[o^]lvd); p. pr. & vb. n. Solving.] [L. solvere, solutum; from a prefix so- expressing separation (cf. Sober) + luere to loosen; cf. OF. soldre, soudre. See Loose, and cf. Absolve.] To explain; to resolve; to unfold; to clear up (what is obscure or difficult to be understood); to work out to a result or conclusion; as, to solve a doubt; to solve difficulties; to solve a problem. True piety would effectually solve such scruples. --South. God shall solve the dark decrees of fate. --Tickell. Syn: To explain; resolve; unfold; clear up.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Solve Solve, n. A solution; an explanation. [Obs.] --Shak.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(solves, solving, solved) Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. If you solve a problem or a question, you find a solution or an answer to it. Their domestic reforms did nothing to solve the problem of unemployment... VERB: V n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. a. Explain, unfold, expound, disentangle, interpret, elucidate, clear, make plain, resolve, clear up.

Moby Thesaurus

account for, allegorize, answer, bottom, break, cipher, clarify, clear up, colliquate, crack, cut, debug, decide, decipher, decoagulate, decoct, decode, deliquesce, demonstrate, demythologize, determine, disentangle, dissolve, divine, do, dope, dope out, elucidate, enlighten, euhemerize, exemplify, explain, explain away, explicate, exposit, expound, fathom, figure out, find out, find the answer, find the solution, fix, fluidify, fluidize, flux, fuse, get, get right, give reason for, give the meaning, guess, guess right, have it, hit it, hold in solution, illuminate, illustrate, infuse, interpret, leach, liquefy, liquesce, liquidize, lixiviate, make clear, make out, make plain, melt, melt down, open the lock, percolate, plumb, popularize, psych, psych out, puzzle out, rationalize, ravel, ravel out, resolve, reveal, riddle, run, settle, shed light upon, show, show how, show the way, simplify, solubilize, sort out, spell out, thaw, thin, throw light upon, unclot, undo, unfold, unlock, unravel, unriddle, unscramble, untangle, untwist, unweave, work, work out