ENGLISH
REFERENCE

compound

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford US //ˈkɑmpaʊnd// com·pound Academic Archaic General-service

n. something made by combining two or more separate parts. In science, it is a substance formed when different elements join together chemically.

n. a substance or entity formed by the union of two or more distinct elements or parts. In chemistry, it refers specifically to a substance consisting of atoms of different elements chemically bonded together.


SIMPLE

Water is a chemical compound made of hydrogen and oxygen.

CONTEXTUAL

The scientist explained that the new compound was much stronger than the individual materials used to create it.

COMPLEX

Linguists often study how a compound is formed by merging two independent words to create a single lexical unit with a specific, unified meaning.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology 1

Possibly from Malay kampong, kampung (“group of buildings, village”), via Dutch or Portuguese, altered under the influence of Etymology 2. Doublet of kampung.

Etymology 2

From Middle English compounen, from Middle French componre, compondre (“to put together”), from Latin componō, from Latin com- (“together”) + ponō (“to put”).

Usage

Commonly used in technical contexts like chemistry, linguistics, and finance.

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