decompose
v.to break down into smaller parts, especially when something dies and starts to rot. It can also mean to take something complex and look at its separate pieces.
v.to break down into simpler components, typically through the action of bacteria or fungi; to resolve a complex whole into its constituent parts. Often used in scientific or technical contexts to describe chemical or biological processes.
“Dead leaves decompose in the forest to make rich soil.”
“The forensic team used chemical analysis to determine how long the remains had been decomposing in the river.”
“In linear algebra, a matrix can be decomposed into a product of simpler matrices to simplify the computation of eigenvalues and eigenvectors.”
“Among the factors studied, land use had the strongest influence on how quickly the underwear decomposed.”
“Many of the materials studied would otherwise decompose before they could be turned into glass.”
Borrowed from Middle French décomposer. Equivalent to de- + compose.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.