English dictionary
compound
adjectiveAudio pronunciation
Parts of speech
Definitions
adjective
- composed of more than one part
adjective
- composed of many distinct individuals united to form a whole or colony
adjective
- consisting of two or more substances or ingredients or elements or parts
noun
- an enclosure of residences and other building (especially in the Orient)
noun
- a whole formed by a union of two or more elements or parts
noun
- a word (as anthropology, kilocycle, builder) consisting of any of various combinations of words, combining forms, or affixes.
noun
- (chemistry) a substance formed by chemical union of two or more elements or ingredients in definite proportion by weight
verb
- put or add together
verb
- make more intense, stronger, or more marked
verb
- combine so as to form a whole; mix
verb
- create by mixing or combining
verb
- calculate principal and interest
Example sentences
compound leaves are composed of several lobes
compound flower heads
coral is a colonial organism
soap is a compound substance
housetop is a compound word
a blackberry is a compound fruit
Also common in English is another type of verb-noun (or noun-verb) compound, in which an argument of the verb is incorporated into the verb, which is then usually turned into a gerund, such as breastfeeding, finger-pointing, etc.
combine resources
The efforts were intensified
Her rudeness intensified his dislike for her
Pot smokers claim it heightens their awareness
This event only deepened my convictions
compound the ingredients