Unless you're a cook this noun may not ring any bells — it refers to a dish that's not so much in fashion these days: stewed fruit in syrup. Most of the words this one might remind you of, such as compose, composite, and compost, are indeed related to it: they all come from Latin composita, which means "mixture." If you like fruit and sweetness, you might like compote, which has usually been eaten as a dessert.