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Origin and history of solid

solid(adj.)

late 14c., "not empty or hollow, hardened;" of figures or bodies, "having three dimensions," from Old French solide "firm, dense, compact," from Latin solidus "firm, whole, undivided, entire," figuratively "sound, trustworthy, genuine," from suffixed form of PIE root *sol- "whole."

The meaning "firm, hard, compact" is from 1530s. Of arguments, etc., "substantial" (opposed to frivolous or flimsy). The meaning "entirely of the same stuff" is from 1710. Of qualities, "well-established, considerable" c. 1600. Of food from c. 1700.

As a mere intensifier, "thoroughly, downright," by 1830. The slang sense of "wonderful, remarkable" is attested by 1920 among jazz musicians.

As an adverb, "solidly, completely," 1650s. Solid South in U.S. political history is attested from 1858 on the notion of unanimity in voting; solid in this sense (in reference to New York) is by 1855. Solid state as a term in physics is recorded from 1953; the meaning "employing printed circuits and solid transistors" (as opposed to wires and vacuum tubes) is from 1959.

solid(n.)

late 14c., "three-dimensional figure or body," from solid (adj.). In Middle English also "a number which is the product of three others." The meaning "a solid substance" (as opposed to a fluid) is from 1690s. Compare also solidus. Latin solidus (adj.) also was used as a noun meaning "an entire sum; a solid body."

also from late 14c.

Entries linking to solid

solidus(n.)

gold coin, late 14c., plural solidi, used of the English shilling as well as the Roman gold coin, from Late Latin solidus, name of an imperial Roman coin (worth about 25 denarii, introduced by Constantine the Great), in full nummus solidus, literally "solid coin," properly a coin of thick or solid metal, not of thin plate. See solid (adj.).

As the name of the oblique slash or dash separating shillings from pence in English prices (sometimes called a shilling mark and said to be a modified long -S- to denote "shillings") by 1891. It is also known as a virgule and is conventionally used as a substitute for the horizontal line in fractions or the division sign.

semi-solid(adj.)

also semisolid, "half-solid, very viscous," 1803, from semi- + solid (adj.). As a noun, "a surface composed of facets, like a geometric solid, but not closed," by 1891.

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solder
"fix in place or mend by soldering, unite by metallic cement," a re-Latinizing, attested from early 15c. (soulder), of Middle English souden, sowden (mid-14c.), from the noun; see solder (n.). The modern spelling is by 1724. Related: Soldered; soldering...."fusible alloy for bind
soldier
c. 1300, souder, soudiour, "fighting man, one engaged ion military service," from Old French soudier, soldier and Anglo-French variants, "one who serves in the army for pay," from Medieval Latin soldarius "a soldier" (source also of Spanish soldado, Italian soldato), literally "o
solidarity
1829, "communion of interests and responsibilities, mutual responsibility between two or more persons, quality in a community of being perfectly united on some question," from French solidarité, "communion of interests and responsibilities, mutual responsibility," a coinage of th
consolidate
1510s, "to combine into one body," from Latin consolidatus, past participle of consolidare "to make solid," from assimilated...form of com "with, together" (see con-) + solidare "to make solid," from solidus "firm, whole, undivided, entire," from...Meaning "to make firm or strong" is from 1530s; that of "to form into a solid mass" is from 1650s....
consolidation
c. 1400, consolidacioun, "act of making or process of becoming solid or firm," of wounds, broken bones, etc., from Late Latin...of consolidare "to make firm, consolidate," from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + solidare "to make solid...
cholesterol
white, solid substance present in body tissues, 1894, earlier cholesterin, from French cholestrine (Chevreul, 1827), from...bile" (from PIE root *ghel- (2) "to shine," with derivatives denoting "green, yellow," and thus "bile, gall") + steros "solid...
firmament
Used in Late Latin in the Vulgate to translate Greek stereoma "firm or solid structure," which translated Hebrew raqia, a...earth in the Old Testament, probably literally "expanse," from raqa "to spread out," but in Syriac meaning "to make firm or solid...
square
mid-13c., "mason's tool for measuring right angles, carpenter's square," from Old French esquire "a square, squareness," from Vulgar Latin *exquadra, a back-formation from *exquadrare "to square," from Latin ex "out" (see ex-) + quadrare "make square, set in order, complete," fro
cast
c. 1200, "throw, throw violently, fling, hurl," from a Scandinavian source akin to Old Norse kasta "to throw" (cognate with Swedish kasta, Danish kaste, North Frisian kastin), a word of uncertain origin. The meaning "to form in a mold" is late 15c. In the sense of "to throw" it r
substantial
mid-14c., substancial, "ample, sizeable," from Old French substantiel (13c.) and directly from Latin substantialis "having substance or reality, material," in Late Latin "pertaining to the substance or essence," from substantia "being, essence, material" (see substance). The mea

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