solve

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solve

(sŏlv, sôlv)

v. solved, solv·ing, solves

v.tr.

To find an answer to, explanation for, or way of dealing with (a problem, for example).

v.intr.

To solve an equation: Insert the values of the constants and solve for x.

[Middle English solven, to loosen, from Latin solvere; see leu- in Indo-European roots.]

solv′er n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

solve

(sɒlv)

vb (tr)

1. to find the explanation for or solution to (a mystery, problem, etc)

2. (Mathematics) maths

a. to work out the answer to (a problem)

b. to obtain the roots of (an equation)

[C15: from Latin solvere to loosen, release, free from debt]

ˈsolver n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

solve

(sɒlv)

v.t. solved, solv•ing.

1. to find the answer or explanation for; clear up; explain: to solve a mystery or puzzle.

2. to work out the answer or solution to (a mathematical problem).

[1400–50; late Middle English < Latin solvere to loosen, release, dissolve]

solv′er, n.

solve

- First meant "loosen"—from Latin solvere, "free, unfasten."

solve

Past participle: solved
Gerund: solving

Imperative
solve
solve

Present
I solve
you solve
he/she/it solves
we solve
you solve
they solve

Preterite
I solved
you solved
he/she/it solved
we solved
you solved
they solved

Present Continuous
I am solving
you are solving
he/she/it is solving
we are solving
you are solving
they are solving

Present Perfect
I have solved
you have solved
he/she/it has solved
we have solved
you have solved
they have solved

Past Continuous
I was solving
you were solving
he/she/it was solving
we were solving
you were solving
they were solving

Past Perfect
I had solved
you had solved
he/she/it had solved
we had solved
you had solved
they had solved

Future
I will solve
you will solve
he/she/it will solve
we will solve
you will solve
they will solve

Future Perfect
I will have solved
you will have solved
he/she/it will have solved
we will have solved
you will have solved
they will have solved

Future Continuous
I will be solving
you will be solving
he/she/it will be solving
we will be solving
you will be solving
they will be solving

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been solving
you have been solving
he/she/it has been solving
we have been solving
you have been solving
they have been solving

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been solving
you will have been solving
he/she/it will have been solving
we will have been solving
you will have been solving
they will have been solving

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been solving
you had been solving
he/she/it had been solving
we had been solving
you had been solving
they had been solving

Conditional
I would solve
you would solve
he/she/it would solve
we would solve
you would solve
they would solve

Past Conditional
I would have solved
you would have solved
he/she/it would have solved
we would have solved
you would have solved
they would have solved

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Verb	1.	solve - find the solution to (a problem or question) or understand the meaning of; "did you solve the problem?"; "Work out your problems with the boss"; "this unpleasant situation isn't going to work itself out"; "did you get it?"; "Did you get my meaning?"; "He could not work the math problem" figure out, puzzle out, lick, work out, work understand - know and comprehend the nature or meaning of; "She did not understand her husband"; "I understand what she means" answer, resolve - understand the meaning of; "The question concerning the meaning of life cannot be answered" riddle - explain a riddle strike - arrive at after reckoning, deliberating, and weighing; "strike a balance"; "strike a bargain" guess, infer - guess correctly; solve by guessing; "He guessed the right number of beans in the jar and won the prize" answer - give the correct answer or solution to; "answer a question"; "answer the riddle" break - find the solution or key to; "break the code"
	2.	solve - find the solution; "solve an equation"; "solve for x" resolve compute, calculate, cipher, cypher, figure, reckon, work out - make a mathematical calculation or computation factorise, factorize - resolve (a polynomial) into factors
	3.	solve - settle, as of a debt; "clear a debt"; "solve an old debt" clear square off, square up, settle, determine - settle conclusively; come to terms; "We finally settled the argument"

solve

verb answer, work out, resolve, explain, crack, interpret, unfold, clarify, clear up, unravel, decipher, expound, suss (out) (slang), get to the bottom of, disentangle, elucidate Their domestic reforms did nothing to solve unemployment.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

solve

verb

1. To find a solution for:

clear up, decipher, explain, resolve, unravel.

Informal: dope out, figure out.

Idiom: get to the bottom of.

2. To arrive at an answer to (a mathematical problem):

work, work out.

Informal: figure out.

Translations

يَحُليُحِلُّيُفَسِّر اللغْز

řešitvyřešitobjasnit

løseopklare

lösen klären

λύνω

resolver solucionar arreglar

ratkaista

résoudre solutionner élucider

riješiti

megfejtmegold

leysa, finna lausn áleysa, ráîa

risolvere sciogliere chiarire

解決する

해결하다

atklātatrisinātnoskaidrot

разрешить решать решить

riešiťrozriešiť

rešiti

lösa

แก้ปัญหา

çözmek

giải quyết

解决解答问题等解释

solve

[ˈsɒlv] vt → résoudre

solve

vt problem, equation → lösen; mystery → enträtseln; crime, murder → aufklären; that problem remains to be solved → dieses Problem muss noch geklärt werden

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

solve

[sɒlv] vt → risolvere

solve

(solv) verb

1. to discover the answer to (a problem etc). The mathematics teacher gave the children some problems to solve.

2. to clear up or explain (a mystery, crime etc). That crime has never been solved.

solve

→ يُحِلُّ řešit løse lösen λύνω resolver ratkaista résoudre riješiti risolvere 解決する 해결하다 oplossen løse rozwiązać resolver разрешить lösa แก้ปัญหา çözmek giải quyết 解决

References in classic literature ?

We should therefore solve the question by reference to what the poet says himself, or to what is tacitly assumed by a person of intelligence.

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And it seemed to him that the problem could be solved, and that he ought to try and solve it.

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As she was (very bad handwriting apart) a more than indifferent speller, and as Joe was a more than indifferent reader, extraordinary complications arose between them, which I was always called in to solve. The administration of mutton instead of medicine, the substitution of Tea for Joe, and the baker for bacon, were among the mildest of my own mistakes.

Biddy's first triumph in her new office, was to solve a difficulty that had completely vanquished me.

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You may readily understand that I have occupied my mind with this subject, which was, necessarily, so interesting to me, but I have not been able to solve the problem with the appliances now known to mechanical science.

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"But our expedition of to-night will solve them all.

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And Mister Haggin had failed to solve the mystery of Patsy's and Kathleen's disappearance.

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"Very well, old Barbicane," replied Michel; "they might have cut off my head, beginning at my feet, before they could have made me solve that problem."

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So, under stress of circumstances, the attempt to solve the mystery of Ferrari's disappearance was suspended for a while.

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If he could solve the riddle, the Sphinx was slain.

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Year by year the Soldiers and Artisans began more vehemently to assert -- and with increasing truth -- that there was no great difference between them and the very highest class of Polygons, now that they were raised to an equality with the latter, and enabled to grapple with all the difficulties and solve all the problems of life, whether Statical or Kinetical, by the simple process of Colour Recognition.

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It was impossible to tell whether the new servant would turn out as absolutely methodical as his master required; experience alone could solve the question.