Compound definition |Dictionary.com

Synonyms of Compound

acerbate, aggregate, alloy, amalgam, amalgamate, augment, blend, combine, commixture, complex, compose, composite

Compound

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14 dictionary results for: Compound

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

com·pound1

[adj. kom-pound, kom-pound; n. kom-pound; v. kuh

m-pound, kom-pound] Pronunciation Key

–adjective

1.	composed of two or more parts, elements, or ingredients: Soap is a compound substance.

2.	having or involving two or more actions or functions: The mouth is a compound organ.

3.	Grammar. of or pertaining to a compound sentence or compound-complex sentence.

(of a word)

a.	consisting of two or more parts that are also bases, as housetop, many-sided, playact, or upon.

b.	consisting of any two or more parts that have identifiable meaning, as a base and a noninflectional affix (return, follower), a base and a combining form (biochemistry), two combining forms (ethnography), or a combining form and a noninflectional affix (aviary, dentoid).

5.	(of a verb tense) consisting of an auxiliary verb and a main verb, as are swimming, have spoken, or will write (opposed to simple).

6.	Botany. composed of several similar parts that combine to form a whole: a compound fruit.

7.	Zoology. composed of a number of distinct individuals that are connected to form a united whole or colony, as coral.

8.	Music. of or pertaining to compound time.

9.	Machinery. noting an engine or turbine expanding the same steam or the like in two successive chambers to do work at two ranges of pressure.

–noun

10.	something formed by compounding or combining parts, elements, etc.

11.	Chemistry. a pure substance composed of two or more elements whose composition is constant.

12.	a compound word, esp. one composed of two or more words that are otherwise unaltered, as moonflower or rainstorm.

–verb (used with object)

13.	to put together into a whole; combine: to compound drugs to form a new medicine.

14.	to make or form by combining parts, elements, etc.; construct: to compound a new plan from parts of several former plans.

15.	to make up or constitute: all the organs and members that compound a human body.

16.	to settle or adjust by agreement, esp. for a reduced amount, as a debt.

17.	Law. to agree, for a consideration, not to prosecute or punish a wrongdoer for: to compound a crime or felony.

18.	to pay (interest) on the accrued interest as well as the principal: My bank compounds interest quarterly.

19.	to increase or add to: The misery of his loneliness was now compounded by his poverty.

20.	Electricity. to connect a portion of the field turns of (a direct-current dynamo) in series with the armature circuit.

–verb (used without object)

21.	to make a bargain; come to terms; compromise.

22.	to settle a debt, claim, etc., by compromise.

23.	to form a compound.

[Origin: 1350–1400; (v.) ME compounen < MF compon- (s. of compondre) < L compōnere, equiv. to com- com- + pōnere to put; (adj.) ME compouned, ptp. of compounen, as above

]

—Related forms

com·pound·a·ble, adjective

com·pound·ed·ness, noun

com·pound·er, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

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Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

com·pound2

[kom-pound] Pronunciation Key

–noun

1.	(in the Far East) an enclosure containing residences, business offices, or other establishments of Europeans.

2.	(in Africa) a similar enclosure for native laborers.

3.	any enclosure, esp. for prisoners of war.

4.	any separate cluster of homes, often owned by members of the same family.

[Origin: 1670–80; alter., by assoc. with compound¹, of Malay kampung village, collection, gathering; cf. kampong

]

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

com·pound¹ (kŏm-pound', kəm-, kŏm'pound') Pronunciation Key

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v. com·pound·ed, com·pound·ing, com·pounds

v. tr.

To combine so as to form a whole; mix.
To produce or create by combining two or more ingredients or parts: pharmacists compounding prescriptions.
To settle (a debt, for example) by agreeing on an amount less than the claim; adjust.
To compute (interest) on the principal and accrued interest.
To add to; increase: High winds compounded the difficulties of the firefighters.

v. intr.

To combine in or form a compound.
To come to terms; agree.

adj. (kŏm'pound', kŏm-pound', kəm-)

Consisting of two or more substances, ingredients, elements, or parts.
Botany Composed of more than one part.

n. (kŏm'pound')

A combination of two or more elements or parts. See Synonyms at mixture.
Linguistics A word that consists either of two or more elements that are independent words, such as loudspeaker, baby-sit, or high school, or of specially modified combining forms of words, such as Greek philosophia, from philo-, "loving," and sophia, "wisdom."
Chemistry A pure, macroscopically homogeneous substance consisting of atoms or ions of two or more different elements in definite proportions that cannot be separated by physical means. A compound usually has properties unlike those of its constituent elements.
Botany
1. A leaf whose blade is divided into two or more distinct leaflets.
2. A pistil composed of two or more united carpels.

[Alteration of Middle English compounen, from Old French componre, compondre, to put together, from Latin compōnere; see component.]

com·pound'a·ble adj., com·pound'er n.

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

com·pound² (kŏm'pound') Pronunciation Key
n.

A building or buildings, especially a residence or group of residences, set off and enclosed by a barrier.
An enclosed area used for confining prisoners of war.

[Alteration of Malay kampong, village.]

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Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
compound (v.)

"to put together," c.1380, from O.Fr. compon(d)re "arrange, direct," from L. componere "to put together" (see composite). The -d appeared 1500s on model of expound, etc. The adj. is c.1400; the noun meaning "a compound thing" is from 1530.

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Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
compound (n.)

1679, from Du. (kampoeng) or Port., from Malay kampong "village, group of buildings." Spelling infl. bycompound (v.). Originally, "the enclosure for a factory or settlement of Europeans in the East," later used of S.African diamond miners' camps (1893), then of large fenced-in spaces generally (1946).

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WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

compound
adjective
1.	composed of more than one part; "compound leaves are composed of several lobes; "compound flower heads" [ant: simple]
2.	consisting of two or more substances or ingredients or elements or parts; "soap is a compound substance"; "housetop is a compound word"; "a blackberry is a compound fruit"
3.	composed of many distinct individuals united to form a whole or colony; "coral is a colonial organism" [syn: colonial]
noun
1.	a whole formed by a union of two or more elements or parts
2.	(chemistry) a substance formed by chemical union of two or more elements or ingredients in definite proportion by weight
3.	an enclosure of residences and other building (especially in the Orient)
verb
1.	make more intense, stronger, or more marked; "The efforts were intensified", "Her rudeness intensified his dislike for her"; "Pot smokers claim it heightens their awareness"; "This event only deepened my convictions" [syn: intensify]
2.	put or add together; "combine resources"
3.	calculate principal and interest
4.	create by mixing or combining
5.	combine so as to form a whole; mix; "compound the ingredients"

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The American Heritage Science Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

compound (kŏm'pound') Pronunciation Key
A substance consisting of atoms or ions of two or more different elements in definite proportions joined by chemical bonds into a molecule. The elements cannot be separated by physical means. Water, for example, is a compound having two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom per molecule.

Adjective Composed of more than one part, as a compound eye or leaf.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

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American Heritage New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition - Cite This Source - Share This
compound

In chemistry, a substance containing two or more elements in definite proportions.

[Chapter:] Physical Sciences and Mathematics

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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

compound

Ag"gre*gate\, n. 1. A mass, assemblage, or sum of particulars; as, a house is an aggregate of stone, brick, timber, etc.

Note: In an aggregate the particulars are less intimately mixed than in a compound.

2. (Physics) A mass formed by the union of homogeneous particles; -- in distinction from a compound, formed by the union of heterogeneous particles.

In the aggregate, collectively; together.

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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Compound

Com*pone"\ (-p[=o]n"), v. t. [L. componere. See Compound.] To compose; to settle; to arrange. [Obs.]

A good pretense for componing peace. --Strype.

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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Compound

Com*po"nent\ (k[o^]m*p[=o]"nent), a. [L. componens, p. pr. of componere. See Compound, v. t.] Serving, or helping, to form; composing; constituting; constituent.

The component parts of natural bodies. --Sir I. Newton.

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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Compound

Com*pos"ite\ (?; 277), a. [L. compositus made up of parts, p. p. of componere. See Compound, v. t., and cf. Compost.]

1. Made up of distinct parts or elements; compounded; as, a composite language.

Happiness, like air and water . . . is composite. --Landor.

2. (Arch.) Belonging to a certain order which is composed of the Ionic order grafted upon the Corinthian. It is called also the Roman or the Italic order, and is one of the five orders recognized by the Italian writers of the sixteenth century. See Capital.

3. (Bot.) Belonging to the order Composit[ae]; bearing involucrate heads of many small florets, as the daisy, thistle, and dandelion.

Composite carriage, a railroad car having compartments of different classes. [Eng.]

Composite number (Math.), one which can be divided exactly by a number exceeding unity, as 6 by 2 or 3. .

Composite photograph or portrait, one made by a combination, or blending, of several distinct photographs. --F. Galton.

Composite sailing (Naut.), a combination of parallel and great circle sailing.

Composite ship, one with a wooden casing and iron frame.

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Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Compound

Com"pound\ (k[o^]m"pound), n. [Malay kompung a village.] In the East Indies, an inclosure containing a house, outbuildings, etc.

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