Solid

How to spell solid

5 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce solid

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does solid mean?

1. adjectiveFirm, dense, or not hollow; strong and dependable.
2. nounA substance or body that keeps a fixed shape rather than flowing like a liquid or gas; in geometry, a three-dimensional figure.

Solid in a sentence

• adjective

  The old desk was made of solid oak and weighed a great deal.

• noun

  Ice is the solid form that water takes below freezing.

• adjective

  The team delivered a solid performance throughout the quarter.

• noun

  The geometry lesson covered the volume of every solid in the chapter.

Where does solid come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word comes from the Latin solidus, an adjective meaning 'whole', 'dense', or 'firm', which itself goes back to an older root suggesting wholeness and entirety. The Romans also used solidus as the name of a gold coin valued for being substantial and reliable, and that very coin gave English the abbreviation for the old shilling and even lurks behind the word 'soldier', someone paid in solid coin. English borrowed solid through Old French in the 1300s, first describing things that were dense or not hollow, and the meaning broadened over time to cover anything firm, dependable, or thorough. Because the second vowel is an unstressed schwa, writers sometimes hesitate over it, yet the spelling has stayed remarkably stable since the Latin form. The same root also produced 'consolidate', literally to make firm together, which is a handy reminder of the single 'l' and the 'id' ending.

How the word is built

• solid (from Latin solidus: whole, dense, firm)