Sugar is soluble. It dissolves easily in water. You can also use the word to describe a problem that can be solved easily.
How are the two definitions of soluble related? When you dissolve something in a liquid, the combination is known as a solvent or a solution. All of these "sol-" words descend from the Latin word that means loosen or unfasten. When you dissolve something in water, you loosen the molecules. And if you think of a problem like a knot, to solve it is to loosen it up.
1 |
adj |
(of a substance) capable of being dissolved in some solvent (usually water)
|
2 |
adj |
susceptible of solution or of being solved or explained
|
