The name given to a chemical that something dissolves in is a solvent.

Quick Scoop

  • When a substance dissolves, that substance is called the solute.
  • The substance doing the dissolving (like ethanol or water) is called the solvent.
  • Together, solute + solvent form a solution , which is a homogeneous mixture.

So in your example, ethanol is acting as the solvent for whatever you are dissolving in it.