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compounds

 - 9 dictionary results

com⋅pound

1[adj. kom-pound, kom-pound; n. kom-pound; v. kuhm-pound, kom-pound]
–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.
4. (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


com⋅pound⋅a⋅ble, adjective
com⋅pound⋅ed⋅ness, noun
com⋅pound⋅er, noun

com⋅pound

2[kom-pound]
–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 compound 1 , of Malay kampung village, collection, gathering; cf. kampong
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To compounds
com·pound 1   (kŏm-pound', kəm-, kŏm'pound')   
v.   com·pound·ed, com·pound·ing, com·pounds

v.   tr.
  1. To combine so as to form a whole; mix.

  2. To produce or create by combining two or more ingredients or parts: pharmacists compounding prescriptions.

  3. To settle (a debt, for example) by agreeing on an amount less than the claim; adjust.

  4. To compute (interest) on the principal and accrued interest.

  5. To add to; increase: High winds compounded the difficulties of the firefighters.

v.   intr.
  1. To combine in or form a compound.

  2. To come to terms; agree.

adj.   (kŏm'pound', kŏm-pound', kəm-)
  1. Consisting of two or more substances, ingredients, elements, or parts.

  2. Botany Composed of more than one part.

n.   (kŏm'pound')
  1. A combination of two or more elements or parts. See Synonyms at mixture.

  2. 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."

  3. 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.

  4. 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.
com·pound 2   (kŏm'pound')   
n.  
  1. A building or buildings, especially a residence or group of residences, set off and enclosed by a barrier.

  2. An enclosed area used for confining prisoners of war.


[Alteration of Malay kampong, village.]
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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Cultural Dictionary

compound

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

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

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.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: com·pound
Pronunciation: k&m-'paund
Function: transitive verb
1 : to agree for a consideration not to prosecute (an offense)
NOTE: Compounding a felony is a common-law crime.
2 : to pay (interest) on both the accrued interest and the principal
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: 3com·pound
Pronunciation: 'käm-"paund
Function: noun
: something formed by a union of elements or parts;specifically : a distinct substance formed by chemical union of two or more ingredients in definite proportion by weight
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

compound com·pound (kŏm'pound')
n.

  1. A combination of two or more elements or parts.

  2. A pure, macroscopically homogeneous substance that consists of atoms or ions of different elements in definite proportions that cannot be separated by physical means, and that have properties unlike those of its constituent elements.

adj. (kŏm'pound', kŏm-pound', kəm-)
Consisting of two or more substances, ingredients, elements, or parts. v. com·pound·ed, com·pound·ing, com·pounds (kŏm-pound', kəm-, kŏm'pound')
  1. To combine so as to form a whole; mix.

  2. To produce or create by combining two or more ingredients or parts.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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