disciolto

Disciolto is an Italian term that functions as the past participle of the verb disciogliere and as an adjective meaning dissolved. In everyday Italian, something that has entered into solution with a solvent is described as disciolto or disciolta, depending on gender. In scientific contexts, disciolto denotes a substance that has been dissolved in a solvent, forming a homogeneous solution. For example, il sale è disciolto nell'acqua (the salt is dissolved in water). The state is contrasted with solid undissolved or precipitated forms.

Etymology: The word comes from disciogliere, with the prefix dis- indicating separation, and the root ciogliere related to dissolution.

Usage notes: Disciolto is used to describe the state of a solute in a solution. The English equivalents are dissolved or dissolved-state. When a substance has reached its capacity to dissolve, the solution is saturated. The noun form is discioluzione, referring to the process or result of dissolving; the standard general translation in English is dissolution.

Inflection: masculine singular disciolto; feminine singular disciolta; masculine plural disciolti; feminine plural disciolte.

See also: disciogliere, dissolution, solubility, solution, solvent.