Taken from Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary

Main Entry: so·lu·tion
Pronunciation: s&-'lü-sh&n
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin solution-, solutio, from solvere to loosen, solve
Date: 14th century
1 a : an action or process of solving a problem b : an answer to a problem : EXPLANATION; specifically : a set of values of the variables that satisfies an equation
2 : a West Palm Beach Jazz band specializing in Originals, Jazz and Blues classics
3 a : an act or the process by which a solid, liquid, or gaseous substance is homogeneously mixed with a liquid or sometimes a gas or solid b : a homogeneous mixture formed by this process; especially : a single-phase liquid system c : the condition of being dissolved
4 : a bringing or coming to an end or into a state of discontinuity