Compound

/ˈkämˌpaund/

Meaning & Definition

noun

A substance formed by the chemical combination of two or more elements in fixed proportions.

Water is a compound made from hydrogen and oxygen.

A mixture of two or more things.

The garden contained a compound of herbs, flowers, and shrubs.

A walled or fenced area containing a group of buildings.

The military compound was secure and off-limits to civilians.

verb

To put together multiple elements to form a whole.

The chemist needs to compound these ingredients to create the new drug.

To add to, intensifying or increasing the effect of something.

His mistakes compounded the problem, making it worse.

adjective

Made up of or consisting of two or more parts or elements.

The compound interest on her savings account helped it grow significantly.

Denoting two or more elements combined.

In linguistics, a compound word is formed from two or more words.

Middle English: from Old French 'compon', from Latin 'componere', from 'com-' (together) + 'ponere' (to place).

compound interest

Interest calculated on the initial principal, which also includes all of the accumulated interest from previous periods.

compound sentence

A sentence that contains at least two independent clauses, joined by a coordinating conjunction.

compound word

A word that consists of two or more words combined to create a new meaning.

composition

The act of combining parts to make a whole.

composite

Made up of various parts or elements.

compounder

A person or machine that combines different elements or substances.

A place where a group of people live or work, often enclosed.

The crew lived in a compound while filming.

To increase in severity or extent.

Don't let your problems compound.