solvent /sol′vənt/ [L, solvere, to dissolve] , 1. any liquid in which another substance can be dissolved. 2. (Informal) an organic liquid, such as benzene, carbon tetrachloride, and other volatile petroleum distillates, that when inhaled can cause intoxication as well as damage to mucous membranes of the nose and throat and the tissues of the kidney, liver, and brain. Repeated, prolonged exposure can result in addiction, brain damage, blindness, and other serious consequences, some of them fatal. See also benzene poisoning, carbon tetrachloride, glue sniffing, petroleum distillate poisoning.
