solve

solve
\ \ [15] Etymologically, solve means ‘release’, particularly by the payment of debt. It was borrowed from Latin solvererelease, unbind, pay’, which was descended from an earlier *seluere. This was a compound verb based on luereloosen, release, pay’, a descendant of the same Indo-European base that produced English analyse, loose, lose, etc. The notion of ‘payment of debts’ survives in English solvent [17], and a metaphorical extension of ‘loosening’ to ‘turning a solid into a liquid’ can be seen in soluble [14] and the derivative dissolve [14]. The use of solve for ‘explain’, now the major English sense, emerged in Latin, but it was not a major feature of the Latin verb. Other related forms include absolute, absolve, and resolve [14].
\ \ Cf.ABSOLUTE, ABSOLVE, ANALYSE, DISSOLVE, LOOSE, LOSE, RESOLVE, SOLUTION

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • Solve — Single par dream extrait de l’album Process Face A Solve Face B Sincerely (remix) Sortie 23 mai 2001 …   Wikipédia en Français

  • solve — [ salv ] verb transitive *** 1. ) to find a solution to something that is causing difficulties: solve a crisis/dispute/conflict: It is hoped that diplomatic efforts can solve the crisis peacefully. solve a problem: We can help you solve your… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • 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… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • solve — W3S2 [sɔlv US sa:lv] v [T] [Date: 1400 1500; : Latin; Origin: solvere to loosen, solve, dissolve, pay ] 1.) to find or provide a way of dealing with a problem →↑solution ▪ Charlie thinks money will solve all his problems. ▪ the best way of… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • Sölve — was a sea king who conquered Sweden by burning the Swedish king Östen to death inside his hall.The Heimskringla relates that he was the son Högne of Nærøy, and that he had his home in Jutland (however, according to the older source Historia… …   Wikipedia

  • solve — solve, *resolve, unfold, unravel, decipher can all mean to make clear or apparent or intelligible what is obscure or mysterious or incomprehensible. Solve is the most general in meaning and suggestion in this group; it implies the finding of a… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • Solve — Solve, n. A solution; an explanation. [Obs.] Shak. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • solve — I verb account for, answer, arrive at the truth, ascertain, bring out, clear up, crack, decipher, decode, deduce, discover, disentangle, disinter, dissolvere, educe, elucidate, enodare, enucleate, expedire, explain, fathom, ferret out, figure out …   Law dictionary

  • solve — mid 15c., to disperse, dissipate, loosen, from L. solvere to loosen, dissolve, untie, from PIE *se lu , from reflexive pronoun *swe + base *leu to loosen, divide, cut apart (Cf. Gk. lyein to loosen, release, untie, O.E. leosan to lose, leas… …   Etymology dictionary

  • solve — [v] answer, resolve break*, clarify, clear up, construe, crack*, deal with, decide, decipher, decode, determine, disentangle, divine, do, elucidate, enlighten, explain, expound, fathom, figure out, find out, fix, get, get right, get to the… …   New thesaurus

  • solve — ► VERB ▪ find an answer to, explanation for, or way of dealing with (a problem or mystery). DERIVATIVES solvable adjective solver noun. ORIGIN Latin solvere loosen, unfasten …   English terms dictionary

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