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

compound (plural compounds)

  1. an enclosure within which workers, prisoners, or soldiers are confined
  2. a group of buildings situated close together, e.g. for a school or block of offices
Synonyms Translations Translations 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
    a compound word
    • 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).
Synonyms Antonyms Translations Noun

compound (plural compounds)

  1. Anything made by combining several things.
  2. (chemistry, dated) A substance made from any combination elements.
  3. (chemistry) A substance formed by chemical union of two or more ingredients in definite proportions by weight.
  4. (linguistics) A lexeme that consists of more than one stem; compound word; for example laptop, formed from lap and top.
  5. (rail) a compound locomotive, a steam locomotive with both high-pressure and low-pressure cylinders.
Synonyms Translations Translations Verb

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

  1. (transitive) To form (a resulting mixture) by combining different elements, ingredients, or parts.
    to compound a medicine
    • 1820, Walter Scott, Ivanhoe; a Romance. [...] In Three Volumes, volume (please specify ), Edinburgh: Printed for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co. […], OCLC 230694662 ↗:
  2. (transitive) To assemble (ingredients) into a whole; to combine, mix, or unite.
    • We have the power of altering […] and compounding those images […] into all the varieties of picture.
  3. (transitive) To modify or change by combination with some other thing or part; to mingle with something else.
    • c. 1596–1599, William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act IV, scene v]:
      Only compound me with forgotten dust.
  4. (transitive, legal) To settle by agreeing on less than the claim, or on different terms than those stipulated.
    to compound a debt
  5. (transitive) To settle amicably; to adjust by agreement; to compromise.
    • 1591, William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act II, scene i]:
      I pray, my lords, let me compound this strife.
  6. (intransitive) To come to terms of agreement; to agree; to settle by a compromise; usually followed by with before the person participating, and for before the thing compounded or the consideration.
    • c. 1603–1604, William Shakespeare, “Measvre for Measure”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act IV, scene ii]:
      Here's a fellow will help you to-morrow; […] compound with him by the year.
    • They were at last glad to compound for his bare commitment to the Tower.
    • Cornwall compounded to furnish ten oxen after Michaelmas for thirty pounds.
    • , Hudibras
      Compound for sins they are inclined to / By damning those they have no mind to.
  7. (transitive, obsolete) To compose; to constitute.
    • c. 1605–1608, William Shakespeare, “The Life of Tymon of Athens”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act IV, scene ii]:
      his pomp and all what state compounds
  8. (intransitive, finance) To increase in value with interest, where the interest is earned on both the principal sum and prior earned interest.
  9. (transitive) To worsen a situation.
    • , New Family Structure Study
      This problem is compounded when these studies compare data from the small convenience samples of gay parenting with data on heterosexual parenting
  10. (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.
Synonyms Translations
  • Italian: unirsi
  • Russian: собира́ться
Translations Translations Translations Translations
  • German: sich vergleichen, einen Vergleich schließen, durch Vergleich regeln
Translations

This text is extracted from the Wiktionary and it is available under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license | Terms and conditions | Privacy policy 0.009
Offline English dictionary