decomposes
|de-com-pos-es|
🇺🇸
/ˌdiːkəmˈpoʊz/
🇬🇧
/ˌdiːkəmˈpəʊz/
(decompose)
breaking down
Etymology
'decompose' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'decomponere', where the prefix 'de-' meant 'away/undo' and 'componere' meant 'to put together'.
'decompose' changed from Latin 'decomponere' into Old French/Medieval Latin forms such as 'decomposer' and entered Middle English as 'decompōsen' before becoming the modern English 'decompose'.
Initially, it meant 'to undo putting together' or 'separate into parts'; over time it also gained the specific sense of 'decay, rot' for organic matter and retained the more general 'break into parts' meaning.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Verb 1
third-person singular present of 'decompose'.
The corpse decomposes faster in hot, humid conditions.
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Verb 2
(intransitive) To rot or decay; to be broken down by natural processes (often used of organic matter).
In the forest, fallen trees slowly decomposes and returns nutrients to the soil.
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Verb 3
(transitive) To break something into constituent parts or simpler elements.
She decomposes the complex problem into smaller, manageable tasks, and then solves each one.
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Verb 4
(technical) To resolve or express (a mathematical object, signal, or function) as the sum or combination of simpler parts.
The algorithm decomposes the matrix into eigenvalues and eigenvectors, which makes analysis easier.
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Last updated: 2025/09/27 10:23