What is the medical term meaning away from the midline of the body? Lateral means away from the midline. Lateral Lateral is a term that means farther from the midline of the body.
For other uses, see Solvent (disambiguation). A solvent (from the Latin solvÅ, I loosen, untie, I solve) is a substance that dissolves a solute (a chemically different liquid, solid or gas), resulting in a solution. A solvent is usually a liquid but can also be a solid or a gas.
A solvent is the component in a solution that is present in the largest amount. In a NaCl solution (salt-water), the solvent is water. A solute is the component in a solution in the lesser amount. In a NaCl solution, the salt is the solute. A solution may contain more than one solute. There are different types of solutions.