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decompose
[ dee-kuhm-pohz ]
verb (used with object)
- to separate or resolve into constituent parts or elements; disintegrate:
The bacteria decomposed the milk into its solid and liquid elements.
Synonyms: , ,
verb (used without object)
- to rot; putrefy:
The egg began to decompose after a day in the sun.
decompose
/ ˌdiːkəmˈpəʊz; ˌdiːkɒmpəˈzɪʃən /
verb
- to break down (organic matter) or (of organic matter) to be broken down physically and chemically by bacterial or fungal action; rot
- chem to break down or cause to break down into simpler chemical compounds
- to break up or separate into constituent parts
- tr maths to express in terms of a number of independent simpler components, as a set as a canonical union of disjoint subsets, or a vector into orthogonal components
Derived Forms
- ˌdzˌDzˈٲ, noun
- decomposition, noun
- ˌdzˈDz, adjective
Other Word Forms
- cdz·Dza· adjective
- cdz·Dza·i·ٲ noun
- ܲd·dz·Dza· adjective
Word History and Origins
Origin of decompose1
Synonym Study
Example Sentences
Her body was so badly decomposed that pathologists could not ascertain the cause of death.
Otherwise, the mulch and other organic amendments are just diluting the soil readings, and once they decompose, the lead will still be waiting in the soil.
The baby's decomposing body was found in a plastic bag in a shed on a Brighton allotment almost two months later.
"It was badly decomposed and they wouldn't allow me to see it."
The shells serve a dual purpose — one that is functional, as they decompose to improve the soil quality, and another formal, reflecting moonlight in the evening.
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