DISSOLVENT

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does dissolvent mean? 

• DISSOLVENT (noun)
  The noun DISSOLVENT has 1 sense:

1. a liquid substance capable of dissolving other substances

  Familiarity information: DISSOLVENT used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DISSOLVENT (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A liquid substance capable of dissolving other substances

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Synonyms:

dissolvent; dissolver; dissolving agent; resolvent; solvent

Context example:

the solvent does not change its state in forming a solution

Hypernyms ("dissolvent" is a kind of...):

medium (an intervening substance through which something is achieved)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "dissolvent"):

acetone; dimethyl ketone; propanone (the simplest ketone; a highly flammable liquid widely used as an organic solvent and as material for making plastics)

chlorobenzene (a colorless volatile flammable liquid with an almond odor that is made from chlorine and benzene; used as a solvent and in the production of phenol and DDT and other organic compounds)

carbolic acid; hydroxybenzene; oxybenzene; phenol; phenylic acid (a toxic white soluble crystalline acidic derivative of benzene; used in manufacturing and as a disinfectant and antiseptic; poisonous if taken internally)

carbon tet; carbon tetrachloride; perchloromethane; tetrachloromethane (a colorless nonflammable liquid used as a solvent for fats and oils; because of its toxicity its use as a cleaning fluid or fire extinguisher has declined)

hexane (a colorless flammable liquid alkane derived from petroleum and used as a solvent)

menstruum ((archaic) a solvent)

naphtha (any of various volatile flammable liquid hydrocarbon mixtures; used chiefly as solvents)

remover (a solvent that removes a substance (usually from a surface))

alcahest; alkahest; universal solvent (hypothetical universal solvent once sought by alchemists)

methylbenzene; toluene (a colorless flammable liquid obtained from petroleum or coal tar; used as a solvent for gums and lacquers and in high-octane fuels)

xylene; xylol (a colorless flammable volatile liquid hydrocarbon used as a solvent)

Derivation:

dissolve (cause to go into a solution)