solder

1 of 2

noun

sol·​der ˈsä-dər 

ˈsȯ-,

 British also  ˈsäl-də,

ˈsōl-

1

: a metal or metallic alloy used when melted to join metallic surfaces

especially : an alloy of lead and tin so used

2

: something that unites

solder

2 of 2

verb

soldered; soldering ˈsä-d(ə-)riŋ 

ˈsȯ-,

 British also  ˈsäl-,

ˈsōl-

transitive verb

1

: to unite or make whole by solder

2

: to bring into or restore to firm union

a friendship soldered by common interests

intransitive verb

1

: to use solder

2

: to become united or repaired by or as if by solder

solderability

ˌsä-də-rə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

ˌsȯ-

noun

solderer

ˈsä-dər-ər 

ˈsȯ-

noun

Examples of solder in a Sentence

Verb

Wires are soldered onto the circuit board.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The advanced process relaxes material stresses in components, solder joints, and wiring, which maximizes signal transparency and audio fidelity. —Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 12 May 2025

SMDs allow for far more tiny chips, resistors, and other bits to be attached to boards by their tiny pins, flat contacts, solder balls, or other connections. —ArsTechnica, 30 Apr. 2025

Verb

Kits included two batteries and light-emitting diodes, and were designed so that participants—including a few 5-year-olds—didn’t need to solder anything to put them together. —IEEE Spectrum, 1 Sep. 2017

Dial feet are also soldered directly to the meteorite plate, a challenging process given the material’s brittleness. —Matthew Catellier, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English soudure, from Anglo-French, from souder to solder, from Latin solidare to make solid, from solidus solid

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for solder

• broader
• dodder
• fodder
• odder
• marauder

Kids Definition

solder

1 of 2 noun

sol·​der ˈsäd-ər 

ˈsȯd-

: a metal or a mixture of metals (as of lead and tin) used when melted to join metallic surfaces

solder

2 of 2 verb

soldered; soldering -(ə-)riŋ 

1

: to unite or repair with solder

2

: to become joined or renewed by or as if by the use of solder

solderer

-ər-ər 

noun