dissolve

Recorded since c. 1374 (displacing Old English toliesan) as Middle English dissolven, from Latin dissolvere (“to loosen up, break apart”) but with the sense from Anglo-Norman dissoldre (variant of Old French dissoudre), itself from dis- (“apart”) + solvere (“to loose, loosen”). By surface analysis, dis- +‎ solve.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /dɪˈzɒlv/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /dɪˈzɑlv/
• Hyphenation: dis‧solve

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

dissolve (third-person singular simple present dissolves, present participle dissolving, simple past and past participle dissolved)

1. (transitive) To terminate a union of multiple members actively, as by disbanding.

   Antonyms: establish, found

   The ruling party or coalition sometimes dissolves parliament early when the polls are favorable, hoping to reconvene with a larger majority.

2. (transitive) To destroy, make disappear.
3. (transitive) To liquify, melt into a fluid.

   Synonyms: melt, formelt

   • 1595 December 9 (first known performance), William Shakespeare, “The life and death of King Richard the Second”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]:

     as if the world were all dissolved to tears

4. (intransitive) To be melted, changed into a fluid.
5. (physical chemistry) (transitive) To disintegrate chemically into a solution by immersion into a liquid or other material.
6. (physical chemistry) (intransitive) To be disintegrated by such immersion.
7. (transitive) To disperse, drive apart a group of persons.
   • c. 1597 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merry Wiues of Windsor”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene v]:

     Nothing can dissolve us.

8. (transitive) To break the continuity of; to disconnect; to loosen; to undo; to separate.
   • 1600, [Torquato Tasso], “(please specify |book=1 to 20)”, in Edward Fairefax [i.e., Edward Fairfax], transl., Godfrey of Bulloigne, or The Recouerie of Ierusalem. […], London: […] Ar[nold] Hatfield, for I[saac] Iaggard and M[atthew] Lownes, →OCLC:

     Down fell the duke, his joints dissolved asunder.

   • 1776, The Declaration of Independence:

     For one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another.

9. (law, transitive) To annul; to rescind; to discharge or release.

   to dissolve an injunction

   • 2017 August 13, Brandon Nowalk, “Oldtown offers one last game-changing secret as Game Of Thrones goes behind enemy lines (newbies)”, in The Onion AV Club‎:

     Jon Snow is the legitimate heir to the Targaryen line, by the old rules, of the old government, which was dissolved and reshaped by King Robert.

10. (cinematography, intransitive) To shift from one shot to another by having the former fade out as the latter fades in.

    Synonym: fade out

11. (intransitive) To resolve itself as by dissolution.
12. (obsolete) To solve; to clear up; to resolve.
    • 1842, Alfred Tennyson, “A Dream of Fair Women”, in Poems. […], volumes (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC:

      dissolved the mystery

    • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Daniel 5:16:

      Make interpretations and dissolve doubts.

13. To relax by pleasure; to make powerless.
    • 1674 (date written), John Dryden, “The Authors Apology for Heroique Poetry; and Poetique Licence”, in The State of Innocence, and Fall of Man: An Opera. […], London: […] T[homas] N[ewcomb] for Henry Herringman, […], published 1677, →OCLC, page 29:

      Seraph and Cherub, careleſs of their charge, / And wanton, in full eaſe now live at large: / Unguarded leave the paſſes of the Sky; / And all diſſolv'd in Hallelujahs lye.

• melt

dissolve (plural dissolves)

1. (cinematography) a form of film punctuation in which there is a gradual transition from one scene to the next

   Synonym: fade out

   • 1986 April 19, Michael Bronski, “Two Views on Desert Hearts: Sexy? or simply Slow?”, in Gay Community News, page 9:

     While most of the film is done in medium and long shots (connected with dissolves and wipes which lend a lovely period effect)

• voidless

• IPA^(key): /disˈsɔl.ve/
• Rhymes: -ɔlve
• Hyphenation: dis‧sòl‧ve

dissolve

1. third-person singular present indicative of dissolvere

• disvolse

dissolve

1. second-person singular present active imperative of dissolvō

dissolve

1. Alternative form of dissolven

dissolve

1. inflection of dissolver:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative