The name given to a chemical that something dissolves in, such as ethanol used to dissolve various substances, is called a "solvent." A solvent is the dissolving medium in a solution, meaning it is the substance in which the solute (the substance being dissolved) dissolves. Ethanol, for example, is a versatile solvent because its molecular structure allows it to dissolve both polar and nonpolar compounds effectively. This capability makes ethanol useful in many industrial, medical, and laboratory applications as a solvent for chemical reactions, extractions, and preparations.