# solve

Pronunciation: US say "SAHLV" /sɑlv/; UK say "SOLV" /sɒlv/; AUS say "SAWLV" /sɔlv/

## Verb

1. To work out how to resolve a problem or answer a question.
   - Simple: To find the answer to a problem or question.
   - _Engineers worked all night to solve the cooling problem._
   - _It took the team weeks to solve the scheduling conflict._
2. To discover who committed a crime and what their motive was.
   - Simple: To find out who did a crime and why.
   - _The detective solved the murder by tracing a single phone call._
   - _Investigators hope new evidence will help them solve the cold case._
3. To determine the values of the variables that make a system of equations, inequalities, or both true.
   - Simple: To find the numbers that make an equation true.
   - _The algorithm can solve large systems of linear equations quickly._
   - _He solved the inequality and graphed the solution set._
4. To rearrange an equation or inequality so that a chosen variable is isolated on one side, with the other side giving an expression for it.
   - Simple: To change an equation so that one letter stands alone on one side.
   - _To find velocity, solve the equation for v._
   - _He solved the formula for temperature before plugging in the numbers._

## Verb

5. To cause a substance to dissolve, mixing it fully into a liquid. *(archaic)*
   - Simple: To make a solid mix completely into a liquid.
   - _The apothecary solved the crystals in warm vinegar._
   - _Gentle heat will solve the resin in oil._

## Noun

6. An answer or explanation, especially the resolution of a difficult or puzzling matter. *(archaic)*
   - Simple: An answer or explanation for something puzzling.
   - _The council awaited a solve to the question of the missing funds._
   - _His report gave a clear solve for the disorder in the records._

## Other meanings

- (verb) To loosen the parts of something, or to separate them from one another.

## Origin

The word comes from Middle English "solven," which came from the Latin verb "solvō."

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/solve (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).