Definition

1. Noun:
   • The fifth note of a musical scale in solmization: In music, "sol" is the syllable used to name the fifth note (the dominant) of a diatonic scale in systems like solfège (e.g., do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti).
   • The Roman god personifying the sun: In Roman mythology, "Sol" is the name of the ancient god of the sun, considered the counterpart of the Greek god Helios.
   • A type of colloidal dispersion: In chemistry, a "sol" is a colloidal system in which solid particles are suspended in a continuous liquid phase.

Examples of Usage

• Noun (Music):
  • In the key of C major, the note G is sung as 'sol'.
  • The singer practiced the scale: do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti, do.
• Noun (Mythology):
  • The temple was dedicated to Sol, the bringer of light.
  • In Roman myths, Sol drove his chariot across the sky each day.
• Noun (Chemistry):
  • The scientist prepared a gold sol for the experiment.
  • A sol can appear clear or cloudy, depending on the particle size.

Advanced Usage

• "Sol Invictus": Meaning "Unconquered Sun," this was the official sun god of the later Roman Empire.
  • The festival of Sol Invictus was celebrated on December 25th.
• In music theory, "sol" can function as a stable tonal center, often leading back to the tonic ("do").
  • The chord progression strongly emphasized the sol note.

Variants and Related Words

• Solfège (n): A music education method for teaching pitch and sight-singing using syllables like sol.
• Solar (adj): Pertaining to the sun (e.g., solar energy). This is etymologically related to the mythological "Sol."
• Aerosol (n): A suspension of fine solid particles or liquid droplets in a gas. This is a related scientific term sharing the "-sol" suffix, indicating a dispersed system.

Synonyms

• Music: Fifth, dominant (note).
• Mythology: Helios (Greek counterpart), Sun god.
• Chemistry: Colloidal dispersion, colloidal solution.

Related Phrases

• "Fixed-do solfège": A system where the syllable "sol" always corresponds to a specific pitch (e.g., G).
  • She prefers fixed-do solfège, so for her, sol is always G.
• "To sol-fa": To sing using solfège syllables.
  • The choir was asked to sol-fa the difficult passage.

Related Idioms

• "Everything under the sun": While not containing the word "sol," this idiom relates to the sun's domain, connected to the mythological meaning.
  • He collected stamps—everything under the sun.

Noun

1. the syllable naming the fifth (dominant) note of any musical scale in solmization
2. (Roman mythology) ancient Roman god; personification of the sun; counterpart of Greek Helios
3. a colloid that has a continuous liquid phase in which a solid is suspended in a liquid