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compose. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
compose, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
compose in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
compose you have here. The definition of the word
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compose, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Etymology
From Middle English composen, from Old French composer (“to compose, compound, adjust, settle”), from com- + poser, as an adaptation of Latin componere (“to put together, compose”), from com- (“together”) + ponere (“to put, place”).
Pronunciation
Verb
compose (third-person singular simple present composes, present participle composing, simple past and past participle composed)
- (transitive) To make something by merging parts.
The editor composed a historical journal from many individual letters.
- December 22 1678, Thomas Sprat, A Sermon Preached before the King at White-Hall
- Zeal ought to be composed of the highest degrees of all pious affection.
- (transitive) To make up the whole; to constitute.
A church is composed of its members.
1741, I[saac] Watts, The Improvement of the Mind: Or, A Supplement to the Art of Logick: , London: James Brackstone, , →OCLC:A few useful things […] compose their intellectual possessions.
- (transitive, nonstandard) To comprise.
- (transitive or intransitive) To construct by mental labor; to think up; particularly, to produce or create a literary or musical work.
The orator composed his speech over the week prior.
Nine numbered symphonies, including the Fifth, were composed by Beethoven.
It's difficult to compose without absolute silence.
1714, Alexander Pope, Imitation of Horace, Book II. Sat. 6:Let me […] compose / Something in Verse as true as Prose.
1838, Benjamin Haydon, Painting, and the fine arts:the genius that composed such works as the "Standard" and "Last Supper"
- (sometimes reflexive) To calm; to free from agitation.
Try to compose your thoughts.
The defendant couldn't compose herself and was found in contempt.
1697, Virgil, “(please specify the book number)”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. , London: Jacob Tonson, , →OCLC:Compose thy mind; / Nor frauds are here contrived, nor force designed.
- To arrange the elements of a photograph or other picture.
- To settle (an argument, dispute etc.); to come to a settlement.
2010, Christopher Hitchens, Hitch-22, Atlantic, published 2011, page 280:By trying his best to compose matters with the mullahs, he had sincerely shown that he did not seek a violent collision […]
- To arrange in proper form; to reduce to order; to put in proper state or condition.
1697, Virgil, “(please specify the book number)”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. , London: Jacob Tonson, , →OCLC:In a peaceful grave my corpse compose.
- (printing, dated) To arrange (types) in a composing stick for printing; to typeset.
Synonyms
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations
to make something by merging parts
- Bulgarian: съставям (bg) (sǎstavjam)
- Catalan: compondre (ca)
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 創作/创作 (zh) (chuàngzuò) (create), 整理 (zh) (zhěnglǐ) (arrange), 作曲 (zh) (zuòqǔ) (write music), 編寫/编写 (zh) (biānxiě) (write)
- Czech: sestavit pf
- Dutch: samenstellen (nl)
- Estonian: koostama
- Finnish: koota (fi), koostaa (fi)
- French: composer (fr)
- Galician: compor (gl)
- German: zusammenstellen (de), zusammensetzen (de), komponieren (de) (music)
- Greek: συνθέτω (el) (synthéto)
- Ancient: συντάσσω (suntássō)
- Italian: comporre (it)
- Latin: compingō, compono (la)
- Portuguese: compor (pt), montar (pt)
- Romanian: compune (ro)
- Russian: составля́ть (ru) impf (sostavljátʹ), соста́вить (ru) pf (sostávitʹ), собира́ть (ru) impf (sobirátʹ), соста́вить (ru) pf (sostávitʹ)
- Spanish: componer (es)
- Tagalog: bumuo
- Turkish: bestelemek (tr) (music)
- Ukrainian: склада́ти impf (skladáty), скла́сти pf (sklásty), компонува́ти impf (komponuváty), скомпонува́ти pf (skomponuváty)
- Vietnamese: phổ (vi) (music), sáng tác (vi)
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to make up the whole; to constitute
to construct by mental labor; to think up
- Arabic: أَلَّفَ (ar) (ʔallafa)
- Armenian: հորինել (hy) (horinel)
- Azerbaijani: bəstələmək (az)
- Bulgarian: съчинявам (bg) (sǎčinjavam), творя (bg) (tvorja)
- Catalan: compondre (ca)
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 創作/创作 (zh) (chuàngzuò) (create), 整理 (zh) (zhěnglǐ) (arrange), 作曲 (zh) (zuòqǔ) (write music), 編寫/编写 (zh) (biānxiě) (write)
- Czech: (music) složit (cs), vytvořit (cs) pf
- Dutch: (notably music) componeren (nl), redigeren (nl)
- Estonian: looma
- Finnish: luoda (fi), (music) säveltää (fi)
- French: composer (fr)
- German: abfassen (de), verfassen (de), komponieren (de)
- Greek: συνθέτω (el) (synthéto)
- Hebrew: חיבר (he) (khibér) (literary work), הלחין (hilkhín) (music)
- Icelandic: semja (is)
- Irish: cum
- Latin: compōnō (la)
- Old English: wyrcan
- Old Norse: yrkja
- Portuguese: compor (pt)
- Russian: сочиня́ть (ru) impf (sočinjátʹ), сочини́ть (ru) pf (sočinítʹ), писа́ть (ru) impf (pisátʹ), написа́ть (ru) pf (napisátʹ)
- Spanish: componer (es)
- Turkish: bestelemek (tr)
- Ukrainian: склада́ти impf (skladáty), скла́сти pf (sklásty), компонува́ти impf (komponuváty), скомпонува́ти pf (skomponuváty)
- Uzbek: bastalamoq (uz)
- Vietnamese: soạn thảo (vi), biên soạn (vi), soạn (vi)
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to arrange the elements of a picture
Translations to be checked
French
Pronunciation
Verb
compose
- inflection of composer:
- first/third-person singular present indicative/subjunctive
- second-person singular imperative
Italian
Verb
compose
- third-person singular past historic of comporre