solder

1 of 2

noun

sol·​der ˈsä-dər How to pronounce solder (audio)
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 How to pronounce solder (audio)
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 noun
solderer noun

Examples of solder in a Sentence

Verb Wires are soldered onto the circuit board.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
These connectors are short lengths of transparent heat-shrink tubing with some solder inside. IEEE Spectrum, 28 Feb. 2024 The solder training institute EPTAC says on its website that the amount of lead on solders is likely not going to cause severe health problems, but there's still a risk for workers exposed to lead during the process. Medea Giordano, WIRED, 2 Feb. 2024 Your drink won’t come in contact with the lead solder, which is underneath the cup. Ali Francis, Bon Appétit, 1 Feb. 2024 While no longer present in paint and gasoline state-side, lead is still used in batteries, solder, pipes, pottery, roofing materials and some cosmetics, according to the Mayo Clinic. The Courier-Journal, 23 Feb. 2024 Hydro Flask, another internet-famous water bottle company, stopped using lead solder more than 10 years ago. Medea Giordano, WIRED, 2 Feb. 2024 The response was suddenly clearer; the technician suspected that the 128KB RAM chip had a bad solder joint that was keeping it from working. Andrew Cunningham, Ars Technica, 5 July 2023 The latter stacks smaller chips on top of larger ones using what’s called hybrid bonding, which links copper pads on each chip directly without solder. IEEE Spectrum, 6 Dec. 2023 For both PlayStation and Xbox systems, dating back to the Xbox 360, replacing your disc drive requires either solder work to move a connected board over to the new drive or purchasing a licensed drive from Sony or Microsoft, when available. Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 7 Nov. 2023
Verb
While the pandemic slowed some things down, spring break soldered on in the area in 2021, with more than 1,000 arrests being made among partiers. USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2024 The final board is not complex and designed as a double sided board which is easy to solder. IEEE Spectrum, 30 Jan. 2024 That leaves behind whole components previously soldered onto the board, which should be easier to recover. Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 31 July 2023 The impression is that the Chinese are soldering all this somewhere in the garage. David Hambling, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024 If broken into section, pads are provided so that headers can be soldered in to plug one board behind the other, making a more compact form suited to a desk clock. IEEE Spectrum, 30 Jan. 2024 The robots assist with assembly here, too, soldering wiring harnesses and ECUs but also checking electronic connections early and often once the entire wiring harness has been installed. Michael Teo Van Runkle, Ars Technica, 11 Dec. 2023 Other pipes are made of clay or iron but may have lead soldering between the joints. Ella Nilsen, CNN, 15 Oct. 2023 This primarily eliminates the need to solder in jumper wires, speeding up construction considerably. IEEE Spectrum, 27 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'solder.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of solder was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near solder

Cite this Entry

“Solder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/solder. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

solder

1 of 2 noun
sol·​der ˈsäd-ər How to pronounce solder (audio)
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 How to pronounce solder (audio)
1
: to unite or repair with solder
2
: to become joined or renewed by or as if by the use of solder
solderer noun

More from Merriam-Webster on solder

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!