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in·sol·u·ble

(ĭn-sŏlyə-bəl)

adj.

1. That cannot be dissolved: insoluble matter.

2. Difficult or impossible to solve or explain; insolvable: insoluble riddles.

[Middle English insolible, from Latin īnsolūbilis : in-, not; see IN-¹ + solvere, to loosen; see SOLUBLE.]

in·sol′u·bili·ty, in·solu·ble·ness n.

in·solu·ble n.

in·solu·bly adv.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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