English
compound
Etymology 1

Possibly from Malay kampong, kampung ("group of buildings, village"), via Dutch - or Portuguese -, altered under the influence of Etymology 2.

Pronunciation
  • (RP) IPA: /ˈkɒmpaʊnd/
  • (America) enPR: kŏm'pound, IPA: /ˈkɑmpaʊnd/
Noun

compound (plural compounds)

  1. An enclosure within which workers, prisoners, or soldiers are confined.
    Synonyms: gaol, jail, pen, pound, prison, Thesaurus:prison
  2. An enclosure for secure storage.
  3. A group of buildings situated close together, e.g. for a school or block of offices.
Translations Translations Etymology 2

From Middle English compounen, from Middle French componre, compondre ("to put together"), from Latin componō, from Latin com- + ponō ("to put").

Pronunciation
  • adj. and noun (British) IPA: /ˈkɒmpaʊnd/
  • adj. and noun (America) enPR: kŏm'pound, IPA: /ˈkɑmpaʊnd/
  • verb (America, British) enPR: kəmpound', IPA: /kəmˈpaʊnd/
Adjective

compound (not comparable)

  1. Composed of elements; not simple.
    Synonyms: composite
    Antonyms: simple
    a compound word
    • 1725, Isaac Watts, Logick: Or, The Right Use of Reason in the Enquiry after Truth, […], 2nd edition, London: […] John Clark and Richard Hett, […], Emanuel Matthews, […], and Richard Ford, […], published 1726, →OCLC ↗:
      Compound substances are made up of two or more simple substances.
  2. (math) Dealing with numbers of various denominations of quantity, or with processes more complex than the simple process.
    compound addition
    compound proportion
  3. (music) An octave higher than originally (i.e. a compound major second is equivalent to a major ninth).
Translations Noun

compound (plural compounds)

  1. Anything made by combining several things.
    Synonyms: amalgam, blend, combination, composite, mix, mixture
  2. (chemistry) A substance formed by chemical bonding of two or more elements in definite proportions by weight.
    Coordinate terms: substance, element, mixture, composite
  3. (chemistry, dated) A substance made from any combination of ingredients.
  4. (linguistics) A lexeme that consists of more than one stem.
    Synonyms: compound word
  5. (law) A legal procedure whereby a criminal or delinquent avoids prosecution in a court in exchange for his payment to the authorities of a financial penalty or fine.
    Hyponyms: closed compound, open compound
  6. (linguistics) A lexeme that consists of more than one stem or an affix, e.g. "bookshop", "high school" or "non-standard".
    • 1989, OED2:
      In the majority of the compounds of non- the hyphen is usually retained; but it is commonly omitted in the case of a few, such as nonconformist, nonentity, nonsense, in which the etymology has been to some extent lost sight of.
  7. (rail) A compound locomotive, a steam locomotive with both high-pressure and low-pressure cylinders.
  8. Short for compound exercise.
Translations Translations Verb

compound (compounds, present participle compounding; simple past and past participle compounded)

  1. (transitive) To form (a resulting mixture) by combining different elements, ingredients, or parts; to mingle with something else.
    Synonyms: Thesaurus:mix
    to compound a medicine
    • c. 1596–1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act IV, scene v]:
      Only compound me with forgotten dust.
    • 1712 July 2 (Gregorian calendar), [Joseph Addison; Richard Steele et al.], “SATURDAY, June 21, 1712”, in The Spectator, number 411; republished in Alexander Chalmers, editor, The Spectator; a New Edition, […], volume V, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton & Company, 1853, →OCLC ↗:
      We have the power of altering […] and compounding those images […] into all the varieties of picture.
      The spelling has been modernized.
    • 1819 December 20 (indicated as 1820), Walter Scott, Ivanhoe; a Romance. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), Edinburgh: […] Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co. […], →OCLC ↗:
      incapacitating him from successfully compounding a tale of this sort
  2. (transitive, legal) To settle by agreeing on less than the claim, or on different terms than those stipulated.
    Synonyms: settle
    to compound a debt
  3. (transitive) To settle amicably; to adjust by agreement.
    Synonyms: compromise
    • 1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act II, scene i]:
      I pray, my lords, let me compound this strife.
    • 1777, Richard Brinsley Sheridan, The School for Scandal, II.iii:
      No! no—if Charles has done nothing false or mean, I shall compound for his extravagance
  4. (intransitive) To come to terms of agreement; to settle by a compromise.
    Synonyms: agree, Thesaurus:agree
    to compound with someone / for something
    • c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Measure for Measure”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act IV, scene ii]:
      Here's a fellow will help you to-morrow; […] compound with him by the year.
    • 1702–1704, Edward [Hyde, 1st] Earl of Clarendon, “(please specify |book=I to XVI)”, in The History of the Rebellion and Civil Wars in England, Begun in the Year 1641. […], Oxford, Oxfordshire: Printed at the Theater, published 1707, →OCLC ↗:
      They were at last glad to compound for his bare commitment to the Tower.
    • 1609, Richard Carew, The Survey of Cornwall. […], new edition, London: […] B. Law, […]; Penzance, Cornwall: J. Hewett, published 1769, →OCLC ↗:
      [Cornwall] compounded to furnish ten oxen after Michaelmas for thirty pounds.
    • 1662 (indicated as 1663), [Samuel Butler], “[The First Part of Hudibras]”, in Hudibras. The First and Second Parts. […], London: […] John Martyn and Henry Herringman, […], published 1678; republished in A[lfred] R[ayney] Waller, editor, Hudibras: Written in the Time of the Late Wars, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: University Press, 1905, →OCLC ↗:
      Compound for sins they are inclined to / By damning those they have no mind to.
  5. (transitive, obsolete) To compose; to constitute.
    Synonyms: Thesaurus:compose
    • c. 1605–1608, William Shakespeare, “The Life of Tymon of Athens”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act IV, scene ii]:
      his pomp and all what state compounds
  6. (intransitive, finance) To increase in value with interest, where the interest is earned on both the principal sum and prior earned interest.
  7. (transitive, see usage notes) To worsen a situation.
    Synonyms: Thesaurus:make matters worse
  8. (horse racing, intransitive) Of a horse: to fail to maintain speed.
    • 1855, The Sporting Review, volume 34, page 240:
      At the hill, the Warrior must have been at least ten lengths in front of Wild Dayrell; but he compounded about 200 yards on the T. Y. C. side of the Red House.
Translations Translations
  • German: sich vergleichen, einen Vergleich schließen, durch Vergleich regeln
Translations Translations

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