solid

I. sol‧id¹ S3 W3 /ˈsɒləd, ˈsɒlɪd $ ˈsɑː-/ BrE AmE adjective
[Word Family: noun: ↑solid, ↑solidarity, ↑solidity, solids, ↑solidification; verb: ↑solidify; adverb: ↑solidly; adjective: ↑solid]
[Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: solide, from Latin solidus]
1. FIRM/HARD hard or firm, with a fixed shape, and not a liquid or gas:
The lake was frozen solid.
It was good to be back on solid ground again.
Is the baby eating solid food (=bread, meat etc) yet?
The ship’s sonar can detect the presence of solid objects in the water.
2. ONLY ONE MATERIAL consisting completely of one type of material
solid gold/silver etc
a solid gold cup
solid wood/pine/oak etc
a chest made of solid oak
3. NOT HOLLOW having no holes or spaces inside OPP hollow:
a solid rubber ball
a shrine carved out of solid rock
4. WITHOUT SPACES continuous, without any spaces or breaks:
It’s not safe to pass when the lines in the middle of the road are solid.
5. STRONGLY MADE strong and well made OPP flimsy:
a solid piece of furniture
The frame is as solid as a rock (=extremely solid).
6. GOOD AND LONG-LASTING a solid achievement or solid work is of real, practical, and continuing value:
five years of solid achievement
The first two years provide a solid foundation in the basics of computing.
7. DEPENDABLE someone or something that is solid can be depended on or trusted SYN sound:
a solid reputation
The prosecution in this case has no solid evidence.
You can rely on Wylie for good solid advice.
a solid Labour stronghold (=where people always vote for this party)
8. CONTINUING WITHOUT INTERRUPTION informal used to emphasize that something continues for a long time without any pauses:
The lecture lasted two solid hours.
five hours/two weeks etc solid
On Saturday I went to bed and slept fourteen hours solid.
9. packed solid informal if shops, trains, buses etc are packed solid, they are full of people
10. on solid ground confident because you are dealing with a subject you are sure about, or because you are in a safe situation:
To make sure that he was on solid ground, he confirmed his findings with others.
11. GOOD British English informal good
12. DIFFICULT British English informal very difficult:
I couldn’t do any of the maths last night – it was solid.
13. SHAPE technical having length, width, and height SYN three-dimensional:
A sphere is a solid figure.
14. IN AGREEMENT be solid British English to be in complete agreement:
The workers are 100% solid on this issue.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

solid

solid [solid solids solider solidest] adjective, noun [ˈsɒlɪd] [ˈsɑːlɪd]

adjective

NOT LIQUID/GAS
1. hard or firm; not in the form of a liquid or gas
• The planet Jupiter may have no solid surface at all.
• The boat bumped against a solid object.
• She had refused all solid food.
• It was so cold that the stream had frozen solid.

• The boiler uses solid fuel.

WITHOUT HOLES OR SPACES

2. having no holes or spaces inside; not hollow
• They were drilling through solid rock.

• The stores are packed solid (= very full and crowded) at this time of year.

STRONG

3. strong and made well

• These chains seem fairly solid.

RELIABLE

4. that you can rely on; having a strong basis
• As yet, they have no solid evidence.
• His advice was always solid and practical.
• This provided a solid foundation for their marriage.

• The Irish team were solid as a rock in defence.

GOOD BUT NOT SPECIAL

5. definitely good and steady but perhaps not excellent or special
• 2008 was a year of solid achievement.

• He's a solid player.

MATERIAL

6. only before noun made completely of the material mentioned (that is, the material is not only on the surface)

• a solid gold bracelet

PERIOD OF TIME

7. (informal) without a pause; continuous
• The essay represents a solid week's work.

• It rained for two hours solid this afternoon.

COLOUR

8. of the colour mentioned and no other colour

• One cat is black and white, the other solid black.

SHAPE

9. (geometry) a shape that is solid has length, width and height and is not flat

• A cube is a solid figure.

IN AGREEMENT

10. in complete agreement; agreed on by everyone
• The department was solid against the changes.
• The strike was solid, supported by all the members.
see also rock solid
Word Origin:
late Middle English: from Latin solidus; related to salvus ‘safe’ and sollus ‘entire’.
Thesaurus:
solid adj.
1.
• The stream was frozen solid.
hard • • stiff • • rigid • |approving firm •
Opp: liquid
solid/stiff/rigid material
a solid/hard/firm surface
2.
• She always gives solid and practical advice.
good • • sound • • valid • • logical • • well founded •
Opp: flimsy
a solid/good/sound/valid/logical reason/basis
solid/good/sound/valid evidence
solid/good/sound advice
3. only before noun
• a bracelet made of solid gold
pure • • refined •
Opp: hollow
solid/pure/refined silver/gold
Example Bank:
• Support for the plan remained rock solid.
• The ice felt solid enough.
• The songwriting quality is consistently solid.
• The water was frozen solid.
• There is pretty solid evidence to show that the disease is caused by poor hygiene.
• 2006 was a year of solid achievement.
• A solid silver bracelet was among the items up for auction.
• Each piece is individually made in solid gold.
• He flung open the solid wood door.
• He's a good, solid player.
• Her advice is always solid and practical.
• It was so cold that the stream had frozen solid.
• The boiler uses solid fuel.
• The door was solid as rock.
• Their friendship provided a solid foundation for their future together.
• There's solid evidence to show he wasn't there when the crime took place.
• Trade remained solid throughout the year.

• Under her bare toes the floor felt real and solid.

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Collins Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

solid

[sɒ̱lɪd]
♦♦♦
solids
1) ADJ: usu ADJ n A solid substance or object stays the same shape whether it is in a container or not.
  ...the potential of greatly reducing our solid waste problem...
  He did not eat solid food for several weeks.
  Ant:
  liquid
2) N-COUNT A solid is a substance that stays the same shape whether it is in a container or not.
  Solids turn to liquids at certain temperatures...
  No baby should be given any solids before four months old.
  Ant:
  liquid
3) ADJ-GRADED A substance that is solid is very hard or firm.
  The snow had melted, but the lake was still frozen solid...
  The concrete will stay as solid as a rock.
4) ADJ: usu ADJ n A solid object or mass does not have a space inside it, or holes or gaps in it.
  ...a tunnel carved through 50ft of solid rock.
  ...a solid wall of multicoloured trees.
  ...a solid mass of colour...
  The car park was absolutely packed solid with people.
5) ADJ: ADJ n If an object is made of solid gold or solid wood, for example, it is made of gold or wood all the way through, rather than just on the outside.
  The taps appeared to be made of solid gold.
  ...solid wood doors.
  ...solid pine furniture.
6) ADJ-GRADED A structure that is solid is strong and is not likely to collapse or fall over.
  Banks are built to look solid to reassure their customers...
  The car feels very solid.
  Derived words:
  solidly ADV-GRADED ADV with v Their house, which was solidly built, resisted the main shock.
  solidity [səlɪ̱dɪti] N-UNCOUNT ...the solidity of walls and floors.
7) ADJ-GRADED (approval) If you describe someone as solid, you mean that they are very reliable and respectable.
  You want a husband who is solid and stable, someone who will devote himself to you...
  All the band come from good, solid, working-class backgrounds...
  Mr Zuma had a solid reputation as a grass roots organiser.
  Syn:
  reliable, dependable
  Derived words:
  solidly ADV-GRADED Graham is so solidly consistent.
  solidity N-UNCOUNT He had the proverbial solidity of the English.
8) ADJ-GRADED Solid evidence or information is reliable because it is based on facts.
  We don't have good solid information on where the people are...
  Some solid evidence was what was required...
  He has a solid alibi.
  Syn:
  reliable
9) ADJ-GRADED You use solid to describe something such as advice or a piece of work which is useful and reliable.
  The CIU provides churches with solid advice on a wide range of subjects...
  All I am looking for is a good solid performance...
  I've always felt that solid experience would stand me in good stead.
  Syn:
  sound
  Derived words:
  solidly ADV-GRADED ADV with v She's played solidly throughout the spring.
10) ADJ-GRADED You use solid to describe something such as the basis for a policy or support for an organization when it is strong, because it has been developed carefully and slowly.
  I am determined to build on this solid foundation.
  ...a Democratic nominee with solid support within the party and broad appeal beyond.
  ...Washington's attempt to build a solid international coalition.
  Syn:
  firm, strong
  Derived words:
  solidly ADV-GRADED ADV adj/prep, ADV with v The Los Alamos district is solidly Republican... So far, majority public opinion in Egypt seems solidly behind the government's policy. ...a society based solidly on trust and understanding.
  solidity N-UNCOUNT ...doubts over the solidity of European backing for the American approach.
11) ADJ: ADJ n, -ed ADJ If you do something for a solid period of time, you do it without any pause or interruption throughout that time.
  We had worked together for two solid years.
  Derived words:
  solidly ADV-GRADED ADV with v People who had worked solidly since Christmas enjoyed the chance of a Friday off.

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

¹sol·id /ˈsɑːləd/ adj
1 : firm or hard : not having the form of a gas or liquid
• Concrete is a solid material.
• particles of solid matter
• When ice melts, it passes from a solid to a liquid form.
• I was on a liquid diet when I was sick because I couldn't digest solid food.
• His muscles are very solid. [=hard]
• I was glad to get off the plane and back on solid ground.
• The pond was frozen solid.
2 : having no space inside : not hollow
• a solid rubber ball
• a solid object
3 a always used before a noun : made entirely from the specified material
• The ring is solid gold/silver.
• solid oak/cherry/mahogany furniture
• a chunk of solid marble/granite
b : consisting only of the color specified or only of one color
• I prefer solid colors like blue or green instead of plaids and stripes.
- see color picture
4 : having no breaks, spaces, or pauses
• The road was divided by a solid yellow line.
• We talked for three solid hours. [=we talked for three hours without stopping]
- often used figuratively
• The rain fell in solid sheets. [=the rain fell very heavily]
• The stores are always packed solid [=very crowded] during the holidays.
• The hotels in the city were booked solid for the conference.
5 [more ~; most ~]
a : good and able to be trusted to do or provide what is needed
• He plays solid defense.
• The team's defense is very solid.
• She gave a solid performance.
• She's a good, solid player.
b : having a strong basis : good and dependable
• His friend gave him some good, solid advice.
• The company has built/established a solid reputation.
• She had solid reasons for her decision.
• Students need a solid foundation in language skills.
• The prosecution has no solid evidence.
• He had a solid alibi.
• Financially, the company is (as) solid as a rock. [=the company is in very good condition]
6 [more ~; most ~] : strong and well-made
• solid furniture
• This chair is very solid.
7 US : agreeing with or supporting something (such as a political party) in a completely loyal and dependable way
• She is a solid Democrat/Republican.
8 geometry : having length, width, and height : three-dimensional
• a solid geometric figure
- sol·id·ly adv
• solidly constructed furniture
• a solidly built athlete
• She put her feet solidly [=securely] on the ground.
• Her reputation was solidly established.
• a solidly Republican area/suburb [=an area/suburb where most people vote for Republicans]
• Environmentalists were solidly [=completely] opposed to drilling in the area.
• The quarterback played solidly during the second half.
- sol·id·ness noun [noncount]