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| com·pound [ kóm pòwnd ] |
noun (plural com·pounds) |
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1. mixture: something made by combining two or more things
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2. chemistry chemical substance: a substance formed by the chemical combination of elements in fixed proportions
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3. grammar word made up of other words: a word that is formed from two or more identifiable words, e.g. "blackbird," "cookbook," or "bullheaded," or, in some analyses, "mother-in-law" or "fire drill"
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adjective |
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1. having parts: made up of two or more parts
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2. grammar made from two or more words: describes a word that is made up of two or more words or word parts
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3. botany divided into parts: describes a leaf that is divided into two or more parts leaflets attached to a single stalk.
See also simpleadj (sense 11)
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verb (past and past participle com·pound·ed, present participle com·pound·ing, 3rd person present singular com·pounds) |
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| Definition: |
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1. transitive and intransitive verb combine things: to add together, or add one thing to another, to form a whole
  hatred that was compounded with fear and revulsion
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2. transitive verb make something from parts: to make something by combining parts
a medication compounded from several constituent elements
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3. transitive verb intensify something: to make something more extreme or intense by adding something to it
Further financial reverses compounded his despair.
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4. transitive verb criminal law take bribe to ignore crime: to accept a bribe in return for not prosecuting or informing about a crime
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5. transitive and intransitive verb settle debt: to settle a debt by paying a lesser amount owed, usually immediately and in a lump sum
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6. transitive verb finance banking add interest: to calculate or pay interest based on both the principal and the previously accrued interest
6 percent interest, compounded monthly
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| [14th century. < Old French compoun-, stem of compondre< Latin componere (see component)] |
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