solids

Meanings

1. 1nounpluralphysics

   Substances that keep a fixed shape and volume, unlike liquids and gases.

   Grammar: Plural form: solids, liquids and gases are the three common states.

   Patterns

   • solids and liquids
   • the properties of solids

   Solids keep their shape unless a force changes it.

   In science class we compared solids, liquids and gases.

   Metals are solids at room temperature.

2. 2nounusually plural

   Food that you chew, as opposed to drinks or soft purees, especially for a baby starting to eat.

   Grammar: Usually plural in this sense: the baby started on solids.

   Patterns

   • start on solids
   • eat solids

   The baby began eating solids at six months.

   After surgery he could not manage solids for a week.

   Her diet was liquids at first and then solids.

3. 3nounpluralmathematics

   In geometry, three-dimensional shapes such as cubes and spheres.

   Grammar: Plural form: the cube and cone are solids.

   Patterns

   • volume of solids

   We calculated the volume of solids like cones and prisms.

   Platonic solids include the cube and the tetrahedron.

   Students drew different solids from the front and side.

4. 4nounpluraltechnical

   Tiny pieces of matter mixed into a liquid or left behind after it evaporates, as in waste water.

   Grammar: Often appears with suspended or dissolved: dissolved solids.

   Patterns

   • total dissolved solids

   The water test measured the dissolved solids.

   Solids settle at the bottom of the tank.

   Filters remove solids from the wastewater.

Word forms

Common combinations

solids and liquids

Solids and liquids behave very differently.

start on solids

Babies usually start on solids around six months.

suspended solids

The river carried suspended solids after the flood.

dissolved solids

Drinking water has few dissolved solids.

Platonic solids

Platonic solids have identical faces.

Synonyms and how they differ

hard substances

Hard substances is a plain phrase, but solids can include soft things like wax, so it is not exactly equal.

solid foods

Solid foods is the full phrase and used more formally than solids when speaking about eating.

three-dimensional shapes

This phrase is the everyday description for geometric solids.

Opposites

Word family

solid noun

singular form, a substance with fixed shape

solid adjective

firm and not liquid, or strong

solidify verb

to become solid

solidity noun

the quality of being firm or strong

solidly adverb

firmly or strongly

Commonly confused: solids or soils?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “solids”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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