solute

/ˌsɑlˈjut/

/ˈsɒljut/

Other forms: solutes

Solute is just a few letters short of solution, a substance that is dissolved in liquid. In science classes, a solute might be part of your experiment.

Pronounced "SAHL-yoot," the noun solute has close word relatives in dissolve, soluble, and solid — all of which are rooted in the Latin word solvere, meaning "to loosen." A solute changes state when it is dissolved. In sugar water, the solute is the sugar because it changes from solid to liquid. The water is not a solute.

Definitions of solute

1. noun

   the dissolved matter in a solution; the component of a solution that changes its state
   type of:

   matter

   that which has mass and occupies space