composed of two or more parts, elements, or ingredients: Soap is a compound substance.
having or involving two or more actions or functions: The mouth is a compound organ.
Grammar. of or relating to a compound sentence or compound-complex sentence.
(of a word)
consisting of two or more parts that are also bases, forming a compound noun,compound adjective,compound verb, or compound preposition, as housetop, many-sided, playact, or upon.
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).
(of a verb tense) consisting of an auxiliary verb and a main verb, as are swimming, have spoken, or will write (opposed to simple).
Botany. composed of several similar parts that combine to form a whole: a compound fruit.
Zoology. composed of a number of distinct individuals that are connected to form a united whole or colony, as coral.
Music. of or relating to compound time.
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
something formed by compounding or combining parts, elements, etc.
Chemistry. a pure substance composed of two or more elements whose composition is constant.
a compound word, especially one composed of two or more words that are otherwise unaltered, as moonflower or rainstorm.
verb (used with object)
to put together into a whole; combine: to compound drugs to form a new medicine.
to make or form by combining parts, elements, etc.; construct: to compound a new plan from parts of several former plans.
to make up or constitute: all the organs and members that compound a human body.
to settle or adjust by agreement, especially for a reduced amount, as a debt.
Law. to agree, for a consideration, not to prosecute or punish a wrongdoer for: to compound a crime or felony.
to pay (interest) on the accrued interest as well as the principal: My bank compounds interest quarterly.
to increase or add to: The misery of his loneliness was now compounded by his poverty.
Electricity. to connect a portion of the field turns of (a direct-current dynamo) in series with the armature circuit.
verb (used without object)
to make a bargain; come to terms; compromise.
to settle a debt, claim, etc., by compromise.
to form a compound.
VIDEO FOR COMPOUND
WATCH NOW: How To Know If A Term Is One Words Or Two Words?
English loves to take existing words and smash them together so they act as one unit. This is called compounding. But how do you know if a word is one word or two?
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Origin of compound
1
First recorded in 1350–1400; (verb) Middle English compounen, from Old French compon- (stem of compondre ), from Latin compōnere, equivalent to com- com- + pōnere “to put”; (adjective) Middle English compouned, past participle of compounen, as above
historical usage of compound
The English verb compound, first appearing in Middle English in the late 14th century as compounen, compownen, comes from Old French compondre, compundre “to direct, arrange,” from Latin compōnere “to put together, add together, match, match up.” The adjective compound, originally a past participle of the verb, is also recorded at the end of the 14th century. The noun, a development of the adjectival sense, is recorded considerably later, in the first half of the 16th century. The final, unetymological -d in compound arose during the 16th century; it is of the same origin as the -d in the English word sound (meaning “noise”), which developed from the earlier English soun (from Old French son, from Latin sonus ), and the archaic verb round “to whisper,” a derivative of rune “a secret.”
(in the Far East) an enclosure containing residences, business offices, or other establishments of Europeans.
(in Africa) a similar enclosure for native laborers.
any enclosure, especially for prisoners of war.
any separate cluster of homes, often owned by members of the same family.
Origin of compound
2
First recorded in 1670–80; alteration, by association with compound1, of Malay kampung “village, collection, gathering”; cf. kampong
historical usage of compound
The noun compound “a large, enclosed area” most likely comes from Malay kampong, kampung “fenced-in space, enclosure, village, a part of town inhabited by a particular nationality.” Compound originally referred to the European (originally Portuguese, Dutch, English) complexes of residences, factories, and warehouses in the East Indies, India, and China. Kampong, kampung was associated in English with the noun compound “something consisting of several parts” by 1679, when the sense “a large, enclosed area” is first recorded.The sense of “large, walled-in space in a prison or other detention camp” first appears in the mid-20th century.
With Covid-19 compounding the health threat of wildfire smoke, this year’s fires are putting an unprecedented strain on communities.
What wildfires in Brazil, Siberia, and the US West have in common|Lili Pike|September 17, 2020|Vox
This could release compounds that might move through the air — right to someone’s nose.
Stinky success: Scientists identify the chemistry of B.O.|Alison Pearce Stevens|September 15, 2020|Science News For Students
A leucine-rich diet may increase your risk of obesity or type 2 diabetes, in theory because the compound sends your body a “time to grow!”
BCAA supplements can enhance your workout, but should you take them?|Amy Schellenbaum|September 10, 2020|Popular Science
At Towson University in Maryland, chemist Shannon Stitzel is tracing cocoa to its roots using organic compounds, which are mostly produced by the cocoa plant itself.
How does a crop’s environment shape a food’s smell and taste?|Carolyn Beans|September 10, 2020|Science News
Local media reports that Beijing initiated the idea of universal testing, rather than Hong Kong’s Legislative Council, have compounded those concerns.
Hong Kong’s citywide COVID-19 testing has become a barometer of public trust|eamonbarrett|September 9, 2020|Fortune
Less than 30 minutes after the firefight started, commandos entered the compound and found the mortally wounded hostages.
Did U.S. Policy Get Luke Somers Killed?|Shane Harris|December 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They say that the Israelis framed him in order to light the powder keg of religious war over the al-Aqsa compound.
In Jerusalem Home Demolitions, the Biblical Justice of Revenge|Creede Newton|November 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Holy City, specifically the al-Aqsa compound, has been the flashpoint for the latest round of conflict.
The Radicals Who Slaughtered a Synagogue|Creede Newton|November 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Now the lead breacher explained how he cut through the steel doors bin Laden used to seal himself into the compound at night.
I Shot Bin Laden|Elliot Ackerman|November 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Our Pashto interpreter explained how he had pretended to be a Pakistani policeman when interested crowds approached the compound.
I Shot Bin Laden|Elliot Ackerman|November 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It is produced by combining a blue or purple with red when a compound colour is used.
Cooley's Cyclopdia of Practical Receipts and Collateral Information in the Arts, Manufactures, Professions, and Trades..., Sixth Edition, Volume I|Arnold Cooley
There was a castor tree in the compound and a servant was despatched to bring the leaves.
Indian Ghost Stories|S. Mukerji
The boy's character was a compound of sensibility and hard rebelliousness, virility and introspection.
The Red and the Black|Stendhal
How are the ends of the shunt winding of a compound dynamo connected?
Hawkins Electrical Guide, Number One|Nehemiah Hawkins
I am as yet unable to interpret satisfactorily any of the compound characters of which these supposed men glyphs form a part.
Day Symbols of the Maya Year|Cyrus Thomas
British Dictionary definitions for compound (1 of 2)
compound1
noun (ˈkɒmpaʊnd)
a substance that contains atoms of two or more chemical elements held together by chemical bonds
any combination of two or more parts, aspects, etc
a word formed from two existing words or combining forms
verb (kəmˈpaʊnd) (mainly tr)
to mix or combine so as to create a compound or other product
to make by combining parts, elements, aspects, etcto compound a new plastic
to intensify by an added elementhis anxiety was compounded by her crying
financeto calculate or pay (interest) on both the principal and its accrued interest
(also intr)to come to an agreement in (a quarrel, dispute, etc)
(also intr)to settle (a debt, promise, etc) for less than what is owed; compromise
lawto agree not to prosecute in return for a considerationto compound a crime
electrical engineeringto place duplex windings on the field coil of (a motor or generator), one acting as a shunt, the other being in series with the main circuit, thus making the machine self-regulating
adjective (ˈkɒmpaʊnd)
composed of or created by the combination of two or more parts, elements, etc
(of a word) consisting of elements that are also words or productive combining forms
(of a sentence) formed by coordination of two or more sentences
(of a verb or the tense, mood, etc, of a verb) formed by using an auxiliary verb in addition to the main verbthe future in English is a compound tense involving the use of such auxiliary verbs as `` shall '' and `` will ''
music
denoting a time in which the number of beats per bar is a multiple of threesix-four is an example of compound time
(of an interval) greater than an octave
zoology another word for colonial (def. 6)
(of a steam engine, turbine, etc) having multiple stages in which the steam or working fluid from one stage is used in a subsequent stage
(of a piston engine) having a turbocharger powered by a turbine in the exhaust stream
Derived forms of compound
compoundable, adjectivecompounder, noun
Word Origin for compound
C14: from earlier compounen, from Old French compondre to collect, set in order, from Latin compōnere
British Dictionary definitions for compound (2 of 2)
compound2
/ (ˈkɒmpaʊnd) /
noun
(esp formerly in South Africa) an enclosure, esp on the mines, containing the living quarters for Black workers
any similar enclosure, such as a camp for prisoners of war
(formerly in India, China, etc) the enclosure in which a European's house or factory stood
Word Origin for compound
C17: by folk etymology (influenced by compound1) from Malay kampong village
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.
Consisting of two or more substances, ingredients, elements, or parts.
v.
To combine so as to form a whole; mix.
To produce or create by combining two or more ingredients or parts.
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.