SOLEIL montant, Fr. An artificial fire-work, so called from its ascending in full illumination, and scattering fire in various directions by a desultory movement. It is likewise called tourbillon de feu; a whirlwind of fire.
SOLEIL tournant et girandole, Fr. An artificial fire-work, which, when set fire to, resembles a sun moving round its axis, and exhibiting the figure of a girandole.
SOLID, (Solide, Fr.) that body which has all the geometrical dimensions.
Solid Bastion. See [Fortification].
SOLIDAIRE, Fr. Consolidated.—An old French legal term, but now generally used to signify a concentration of good qualities, &c. Thus the French convention declared—Que les armées étoient solidaires de gloire; that the armies had consolidated their glory; meaning thereby, that the victories of one part of the army had been added to the account of the rest.
SOLIDITY, (Solidite, Fr.) Firmness; density; compactness.
SOLIVE, Fr. A joist.
Solive likewise signifies a measure in carpentry. It is supposed to be equal to three cubic feet. So that the solive in France is to the measure of wood-work, what the cubic toise is to the measure of earth, or brick-work. The solive is divided into six French feet which are called pieds de solive. The foot into 12 inches, called pouces de solive; and the inch into 12 lines, which are called lignes de solive. In order to form a correct idea of the solive, with regard to all parts or proportions, it must be considered as a parallelepipede, whose base is a rectangle containing 12 inches in breadth, to six in height, and a toise in length, the solive being equal to 3 cubic feet.
SOLIVEAU, Fr. A small joist; a rafter.
SOLSTICE, (Solstice, Fr.) The point beyond which the sun does not go; the tropical point, the point at which the day is longest in summer, or shortest in winter. It is taken of itself commonly for the summer solstice.