Solstice, sol′stis, n. that point in the ecliptic at which the sun is farthest from the equator, and where it is consequently at the turning-point of its apparent course—the summer solstice, where it touches the tropic of Cancer; the winter solstice, where it touches that of Capricorn: the time when the sun reaches these two points in its orbit, 21st June and about 21st December.—adj. Solsti′tial, pertaining to, or happening at, a solstice, esp. at the north one. [Fr.,—L. solstitium—sol, the sun, sistĕre, to make to stand—stāre, to stand.]
Soluble, sol′ū-bl, adj. capable of being solved or dissolved in a fluid.—ns. Solubil′ity, Sol′ubleness, capability of being dissolved in a fluid. [L. solubilis—solvĕre, to solve.]
Solum, sō′lum, n. ground, a piece of ground. [L., the ground.]
Solus, sō′lus, adj. alone, in dramatic directions—feminine form Sō′la. [L., alone.]
Solution, sol-ū′shun, n. act of solving or dissolving, esp. a solid by a fluid: the separating of the parts of any body: the preparation resulting from dissolving a solid in a liquid: explanation: removal of a doubt: construction or solving of a problem: the crisis of a disease.—adj. Solūte′, loose, free: merry, cheerful: (bot.) not adhering.—v.t. (Bacon) to dissolve.—adj. Sol′ūtive, tending to dissolve: loosening.—Solution of continuity (surg.), the separation of parts normally continuous, by fracture, &c. [L. solutio—solvĕre, solutum, to loosen.]
Solve, solv, v.t. to loosen or separate the parts of: to clear up or explain: to remove.—ns. Solvabil′ity, Sol′vableness, capacity of being solved.—adj. Sol′vable, capable of being solved or explained: capable of being paid.—n. Sol′vency, state of being solvent, or able to pay all debts.—adj. Sol′vent, having power to solve or dissolve: able to pay all debts.—n. anything that dissolves another.—n. Sol′ver, one who solves. [O. Fr. solver—L. solvĕre, to loosen, prob. from se-, aside, luĕre, to loosen.]
Soma, sō′ma, n. a certain plant, most prob. of the milkweed family, and its juice used for the preparation of an intoxicating drink—personified and worshipped, esp. in connection with the god Indra, the Jupiter pluvius of the Vedic pantheon. [Sans. soma (Zend haoma, juice)—root su (cf. Gr. ὕω), to press out, distil, extract.]
Somatist, sō′ma-tist, n. one who admits the existence of corporeal beings only.—n. Sō′ma, the trunk of an animal: the body as distinguished from the psyche or soul and the pneuma or spirit.—adjs. Sōmat′ic, -al, physical, corporeal: parietal: pertaining to the body cavity.—n. Sō′matism, materialism.—adjs. Sōmatolog′ic, -al, pertaining to somatology, corporeal, physical.—ns. Sōmatol′ogy, the doctrine or science of bodies or material substances, human anatomy and physiology; Sō′matome, one of the homologous serial segments of which the body of a vertebrate is theoretically composed.—adj. Sōmatopleu′ral, pertaining to the Somat′opleure, the outer one of two divisions of the mesoderm of a four-layered germ.—n. Sōmatot′omy, the dissection of a body.—adj. Sōmatotrop′ic, showing Somatot′ropism, any stimulative influence exerted upon growing organs by the substratum on which they grow. [Gr. sōma, the body.]
Sombre, som′bėr, adj. dull: gloomy: melancholy—also Som′brous.—adv. Som′brely, in a sombre or gloomy manner.—n. Som′breness.—adv. Som′brously.—n. Som′brousness. [Fr. sombre (Sp. sombra, a shade)—L. sub, under, umbra, a shade. So Diez; others explain, on analogy of O. Fr. essombre, a shady place, as from L. ex, out, umbra, a shade.]
Sombrerite, som-brā′rīt, n. a hard impure calcium phosphate—called also Rock-guano, Osite, and loosely Apatite. [Sombrero in the Antilles.]