solid

Everyday

1. A solid is something hard or firm that keeps its own shape, like ice, wood or stone; one of the states of matter. tree →
2. Solid (adjective) means not hollow — the same material all the way through: solid gold. tree →
3. Solid means strong and firm: a solid wall. tree →
4. Solid can mean without a break: «I read for two solid hours». tree →
5. In maths, a solid is a 3D shape such as a cube or sphere. tree →

In the lessons

In science, the three common states of matter are solid, liquid and gas; a solid has a fixed shape and volume because its particles are packed tightly. Heating makes solids melt into liquids. In maths, solid shapes have faces, edges and vertices. In health, babies start «solid food» after milk. Phrases: «solid as a rock», «frozen solid», «solid advice».

Examples

• Ice is water in its solid form. tree →
• A rock is a solid. tree →
• The ring is made of solid gold. tree →
• The pond was frozen solid. tree →
• A cube is a solid with six faces. tree →
• Solids keep their shape. tree →
• We need a solid table for this heavy box. tree →
• It rained for three solid days. tree →
• These pillars are solid gold, I assure you." tree →

Note

Opposites: liquid, gas (state of matter); hollow (inside). «Solid» shapes = 3D shapes. Trap: some solids can be poured, like sand or sugar, because they are many tiny solid grains — each grain keeps its shape.

In Jewish tradition

In Sefer Yetzirah, God makes the solid earth out of the void, so that the world's matter comes from nothing.

Interpretation. It is read as a teaching that God created the world out of nothing, with the letters and speech as the tools of creation.

Examples

• Air, Vayu ; then Water, Apas, which condenses into solid elementary Earth, Prithivi ; and lastly from the Water He formed Fire. (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893) tree →
• And from Nothingness did He make something, and all forms of speech and every created thing, and from the empty void He made the solid earth, and from the non-existent He brought forth Life. (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1887) tree →

Note

Opposites: liquid, gas (state of matter); hollow (inside). «Solid» shapes = 3D shapes. Trap: some solids can be poured, like sand or sugar, because they are many tiny solid grains — each grain keeps its shape.