v. i. 1. To waste away; to be dissipated; to be decomposed or broken up. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To become fluid; to be melted; to be liquefied. [ 1913 Webster ]

A figure
Trenched in ice, which with an hour's heat
Dissolves to water, and doth lose his form. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To fade away; to fall to nothing; to lose power. [ 1913 Webster ]

The charm dissolves apace. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Dissolved p. pr. & vb. n. Dissolving. ] [ L. dissolvere, dissolutum; dis- + solvere to loose, free. See Solve, and cf. Dissolute. ] 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

Lest his ungoverned rage dissolve the life. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To break the continuity of; to disconnect; to disunite; to sunder; to loosen; to undo; to separate. [ 1913 Webster ]

Nothing can dissolve us. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Down fell the duke, his joints dissolved asunder. Fairfax. [ 1913 Webster ]

For one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another. The Declaration of Independence. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To convert into a liquid by means of heat, moisture, etc., ; to melt; to liquefy; to soften. [ 1913 Webster ]

As if the world were all dissolved to tears. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To solve; to clear up; to resolve. “Dissolved the mystery.” Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

Make interpretations and dissolve doubts. Dan. v. 16. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. To relax by pleasure; to make powerless. [ 1913 Webster ]

Angels dissolved in hallelujahs lie. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (Law) To annul; to rescind; to discharge or release; as, to dissolve an injunction.

Syn. -- See Adjourn. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. changed from a solid to a liquid state by increase of temperature; melted. Opposite of unmelted.
Syn. -- liquefied, liquified, melted. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. sundered by divorce, separation, or desertion; -- of social bonds and relations. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

3. diffused into a liquid of differing chemical composition, forming a stable solution; -- said of chemical substances. [ PJC ]

n. 1. That which has the power of dissolving or melting other substances, esp. by mixture with them; a menstruum; a solvent. [ 1913 Webster ]

Melted in the crucible dissolvents. A. Smith. [ 1913 Webster ]

The secret treaty of December acted as an immediate dissolvent to the truce. Mothley. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Med.) A remedy supposed capable of dissolving concretions in the body, such as calculi, tubercles, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. dissolvens, -entis, p. pr. of dissolvere. ] Having power to dissolve power to dissolve a solid body; as, the dissolvent juices of the stomach. Ray. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who, or that which, has power to dissolve or dissipate. [ 1913 Webster ]

Thou kind dissolver of encroaching care. Otway. [ 1913 Webster ]