The process of joining metal components using a fusible alloy with a lower melting point than the base metals.
From Old French soudure 'something soldered,' from Latin solidare 'to make solid,' from solidus 'solid.' The technique dates back to ancient civilizations, with the modern electronics application developing in the 20th century.
Soldering is essentially controlled melting - you're using a metal 'glue' that becomes liquid just hot enough to bond but not damage delicate components. Ancient Romans used soldering for plumbing, which is why we still use lead-based solders (though not for drinking water anymore!).
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