dissolve Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun (film) a gradual transition from one scene to the next; the next scene is gradually superimposed as the former scene fades out
  2. verb become weaker
    fade away; fade out.
    • The sound faded out
  3. verb cause to go into a solution
    resolve; break up.
    • The recipe says that we should dissolve a cup of sugar in two cups of water
  4. verb come to an end
    break up.
    • Their marriage dissolved
    • The tobacco monopoly broke up
  5. verb stop functioning or cohering as a unit
    disband.
    • The political wing of the party dissolved after much internal fighting
  6. verb cause to lose control emotionally
    • The news dissolved her into tears
  7. verb lose control emotionally
    • She dissolved into tears when she heard that she had lost all her savings in the pyramid scheme
  8. verb cause to fade away
    • dissolve a shot or a picture
  9. verb pass into a solution
    • The sugar quickly dissolved in the coffee
  10. verb become or cause to become soft or liquid
    thaw; melt; unthaw; unfreeze; dethaw.
    • The sun melted the ice
    • the ice thawed
    • the ice cream melted
    • The heat melted the wax
    • The giant iceberg dissolved over the years during the global warming phase
    • dethaw the meat
  11. verb bring the association of to an end or cause to break up
    break up.
    • The decree officially dissolved the marriage
    • the judge dissolved the tobacco company
  12. verb declare void
    dismiss.
    • The President dissolved the parliament and called for new elections

WordNet

Dis*solve" transitive verb
Etymology
L. dissolvere, dissolutum; dis- + solvere to loose, free. See Solve, and cf. Dissolute.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Dissolved ; present participle & verbal noun Dissolving
Definitions
  1. To separate into competent parts; to disorganize; to break up; hence, to bring to an end by separating the parts, sundering a relation, etc.; to terminate; to destroy; to deprive of force; as, to dissolve a partnership; to dissolve Parliament.
    Lest his ungoverned rage dissolve the life. Shak.
  2. To break the continuity of; to disconnect; to disunite; to sunder; to loosen; to undo; to separate.
    Nothing can dissolve us. Shak.
    Down fell the duke, his joints dissolved asunder. Fairfax.
    For one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another. The Declaration of Independence.
  3. To convert into a liquid by means of heat, moisture, etc.,; to melt; to liquefy; to soften.
    As if the world were all dissolved to tears. Shak.
  4. To solve; to clear up; to resolve. "Dissolved the mystery." Tennyson.
    Make interpretations and dissolve doubts. Dan. v. 16.
  5. To relax by pleasure; to make powerless.
    Angels dissolved in hallelujahs lie. Dryden.
  6. (Law) To annul; to rescind; to discharge or release; as, to dissolve an injunction. Syn. -- See Adjourn.
Dis*solve" intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To waste away; to be dissipated; to be decomposed or broken up.
  2. To become fluid; to be melted; to be liquefied.
    A figure Trenched in ice, which with an hour's heat Dissolves to water, and doth lose his form. Shak.
  3. To fade away; to fall to nothing; to lose power.
    The charm dissolves apace. Shak.

Webster 1913