Definitions for compound
ˈkɒm paʊnd, kɒmˈpaʊnd; ˈkɒm paʊnd; kəmˈpaʊnd, ˈkɒm paʊndcom·pound

Princeton's WordNet(3.86 / 7 votes)Rate this definition:

1. compoundnoun

   a whole formed by a union of two or more elements or parts

2. compound, chemical compoundnoun

   (chemistry) a substance formed by chemical union of two or more elements or ingredients in definite proportion by weight

3. compoundadjective

   an enclosure of residences and other building (especially in the Orient)

4. compoundadjective

   composed of more than one part

   "compound leaves are composed of several lobes; "compound flower heads"

5. compoundadjective

   consisting of two or more substances or ingredients or elements or parts

   "soap is a compound substance"; "housetop is a compound word"; "a blackberry is a compound fruit"

6. colonial, compoundverb

   composed of many distinct individuals united to form a whole or colony

   "coral is a colonial organism"

7. intensify, compound, heighten, deepenverb

   make more intense, stronger, or more marked

   "The efforts were intensified", "Her rudeness intensified his dislike for her"; "Pot smokers claim it heightens their awareness"; "This event only deepened my convictions"

8. compound, combineverb

   put or add together

   "combine resources"

9. compoundverb

   calculate principal and interest

10. compoundverb

    create by mixing or combining

11. compound, combineverb

    combine so as to form a whole; mix

    "compound the ingredients"

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Compoundadjective

   Etymology: from the verb.

   1. Formed out of many ingredients; not single.

   The ancient electrum had in it a fifth of silver to the gold, and made a compound metal, as fit for most uses as gold. Francis Bacon.

   Compound substances are made up of two or more simple substances. Isaac Watts, Logick.

   2. [In grammar.] Composed of two or more words; not simple.

   Those who are his greatest admirers, seem pleased with them as beauties; I speak of his compound epithets. Alexander Pope.

   3. Compound or aggregated Flower, in botany,is such as consists of many little flowers, concurring together to make up one whole one; each of which has its style and stamina, and adhering seed, and are all contained within one and the same calyx: such are the sunflower and dandelion. John Harris

2. Compoundnoun

   The mass formed by the union of many ingredients.

   Etymology: from the verb.

   For present use or profit, this is the rule: consider the price of the two simple bodies; consider again the dignity of the one above the other in use; then see if you can make a compound, that will save more in price than it will lose in dignity of the use. Francis Bacon, Physical Rem.

   As man is a compound and mixture of flesh, as well as spirit. Robert South, Sermons.

   Love, why do we one passion call?
   When ’tis a compound of them all;
   Where hot and cold, where sharp and sweet,
   In all their equipages meet. Jonathan Swift.

3. To COMPOUNDverb

   Etymology: compono, Latin.

   1. To mingle many ingredients together in one mass.2. To form by uniting various parts.

   Whosoever compoundeth any like it, shall be cut off. Ex. xxx.

   It will be difficult to evince, that nature does not make decompounded bodies; I mean, mingle together such bodies as are already compounded of elementary, or rather of simple ones. Robert Boyle, Sceptical Chymist.

   The ideas, being each but one single perception, are easier got than the more complex ones; and therefore are not liable to the uncertainty, which attends those compounded ones. John Locke.

   3. To mingle in different positions; to combine.

   We cannot have a single image that did not enter through the sight; but we have the power of altering and compounding those images into all the varieties of picture. Joseph Addison, Spectator.

   4. [In grammar.] To form one word from two or more words.

   Where it and Tigris embrace each other under the city of Apamia, there do they agree of a joint and compounded name, and are called Piso-Tigris. Walter Raleigh, History of the World.

   5. To compose by being united.

   Who’d be so mock’d with glory, as to live
   But in a dream of friendship?
   To have his pomp, and all what state compounds,
   But only painted, like his varnish’d friends! William Shakespeare, Timon.

   6. To adjust a difference by some recession from the rigour of claims.

   I would to God all strifes were well compounded. William Shakespeare.

   If there be any discord or suits between any of the family, they are compounded and appeased. Francis Bacon, New Atlantis.

   7. To discharge a debt by paying only part.

   Shall I, ye gods, he cries, my debts compound? John Gay.

4. To Compoundverb

   1. To come to terms of agreement by abating something of the first demand. It has for before the thing accepted or remitted.

   They were, at last, glad to compound for his bare commitment to the Tower. Edward Hyde.

   Pray but for half the virtues of this wife;
   Compound for all the rest, with longer life. Dryden.

   2. To bargain in the lump.

   Here’s a fellow will help you to-morrow: compound with him by the year. William Shakespeare, Measure for Measure.

   3. To come to terms.

   Cornwal compounded to furnish ten oxen after Michaelmas for thirty pounds. Richard Carew, Survey of Cornwal.

   Once more I come to know of thee, king Harry,
   If for thy ransom thou wilt now compound,
   Before thy most assured overthrow? William Shakespeare, Henry V.

   Made all the royal stars recant,
   Compound and take the covenant. Hudibras, p. ii. cant. 3.

   But useless all, when he, despairing, found
   Catullus then did with the winds compound. John Dryden, Juvenal.

   Paracelsus and his admirers have compounded with the Galenists, and brought a mixed use of chymical medicines into the present practice. William Temple.

   4. To determine. This is not in use.

   We here deliver,
   Subscribed by the consuls and patricians,
   Together with the seal of the senate, what
   We have compounded on. William Shakespeare, Coriolanus.

Webster Dictionary(3.17 / 6 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Compoundnoun

   in the East Indies, an inclosure containing a house, outbuildings, etc

2. Compoundverb

   to form or make by combining different elements, ingredients, or parts; as, to compound a medicine

3. Compoundverb

   to put together, as elements, ingredients, or parts, in order to form a whole; to combine, mix, or unite

4. Compoundverb

   to modify or change by combination with some other thing or part; to mingle with something else

5. Compoundverb

   to compose; to constitute

6. Compoundverb

   to settle amicably; to adjust by agreement; to compromise; to discharge from obligation upon terms different from those which were stipulated; as, to compound a debt

7. Compoundverb

   to effect a composition; 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

8. Compoundverb

   composed of two or more elements, ingredients, parts; produced by the union of several ingredients, parts, or things; composite; as, a compound word

9. Compoundnoun

   that which is compounded or formed by the union or mixture of elements ingredients, or parts; a combination of simples; a compound word; the result of composition

10. Compoundnoun

    a union of two or more ingredients in definite proportions by weight, so combined as to form a distinct substance; as, water is a compound of oxygen and hydrogen

11. Etymology: [OE. compouned, p. p. of compounen. See Compound, v. t.]

Freebase(1.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Compound

   In linguistics, a compound is a lexeme that consists of more than one stem. Compounding or composition is the process of word formation that creates compound lexemes. That is, in familiar terms, compounding occurs when two or more words are joined together to make them one word. The meaning of the compound may be very different from the meanings of its components in isolation.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(1.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Compound

   kom-pownd′, v.t. to mix or combine: to settle or adjust by agreement.—v.i. to agree, or come to terms: to bargain in the lump.—adj. Com′pound, mixed or composed of a number of parts: not simple, dealing with numbers of various denominations of quantity, &c., as in 'compound addition,' &c.; or with processes more complex than the simple process, as in 'compound proportion,' &c.—n. a mass made up of a number of parts: the usual name in India for the enclosure in which a house stands, with its outhouses, yard, and garden: a compounded drug.—n. Compound′er.—Compound engine, a condensing engine in which the mechanical action of the steam is begun in one cylinder, and ended in a larger cylinder; Compound fracture, a broken bone, communicating with a co-existing skin wound; Compound householder, one who pays his rates in his rent, the landlord being immediately chargeable with them; Compound interest, the charge made where—the interest not being paid when due—it is added to the principal, forming the amount upon which the subsequent year's interest is computed; Compound quantity (alg.), a quantity consisting of more than one term, as a + b; Compound time (mus.), time in which each bar is made up of two or more simple bars. [O. Fr., from L. componĕre—com, together, ponĕre, to place.]

Dictionary of Nautical Terms(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. compound

   A term used in India for a lawn garden, or inclosed ground round a house.

Entomology(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Compound

   made up of many similar or dissimilar parts.

Matched Categories

1. • Account
   • Add
   • Assemble
   • Mix
   • Whole

British National Corpus

1. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'compound' in Nouns Frequency: #1829

How to pronounce compound?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say compound in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of compound in Chaldean Numerology is: 8

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of compound in Pythagorean Numerology is: 2

Examples of compound in a Sentence

1. David Kimberley:

   The latest surge in dogecoin is a continuation of the greater fool theory trend we’ve seen playing out over the past couple of months, more people are aware of what’s going on and are looking to jump on the gravy train to make a quick buck. It’s very likely that Elon Musk pumping the coin tomorrow on prime-time U.S. TV will only serve to compound things and push the price up.

2. Gilroy Police Chief Scot Smithee:

   We actually create a police compound where we have a command center, a booking area, you know, all the things you would need to run a major operation like Garlic Festival, the officers are deployed throughout the park and they're assigned to different regions of the park so they're spread out, we don't have officers all in one spot.

3. Robert McKenna:

   It never ceases to amaze me how a simple molecule such as saccharin— something many people put in their coffee every day— may have untapped uses, including as a possible lead compound to target aggressive cancers.

4. Aaron White:

   Mixing alcohol and other sedatives, like sleeping pills, narcotic pain medications or muscle relaxers, can compound these problems and potentially cause injuries and death.

5. Taifo Mahmud:

   Humans and mammals don’t have the ability to make this compound, but we’ve found that many other animal species do, the ability to make gadusol, which was first discovered in fish eggs, clearly has some evolutionary value to be found in so many species.

Popularity rank by frequency of use