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compendium

 - 3 dictionary results

com⋅pen⋅di⋅um

  [kuhm-pen-dee-uhm]
Use compendium in a Sentence
–noun, plural -di⋅ums, -di⋅a  [-dee-uh] .
1. a brief treatment or account of a subject, esp. an extensive subject; concise treatise: a compendium of medicine.
2. a summary, epitome, or abridgment.
3. a full list or inventory: a compendium of their complaints.
Also, com⋅pend  [kom-pend] .

Origin:
1575–85; < L: gain, saving, shortcut, abridgment, equiv. to com- com- + pend- (s. of pendere to cause to hang down, weigh) + -ium -ium

Synonyms:
1. survey, digest, conspectus.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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com·pen·di·um   (kəm-pěn'dē-əm)   
n.   pl. com·pen·di·ums or com·pen·di·a (-dē-ə)

  1. A short, complete summary; an abstract.

  2. A list or collection of various items.


[Latin, a shortening, from compendere, to weigh together : com-, com- + pendere, to weigh; see (s)pen- in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

compendium 
1589, from L. compendium "a shortening, saving," lit. "that which is weighed together," from L. compendere "to weigh together," from com- "together" + pendere "to weigh" (see pendant).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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