docker compose
compound.compound. a tool that helps you run and manage multiple software containers at the same time using a single file. It makes it easy to start complex applications that need several different parts to work together.
compound. a tool for defining and running multi-container applications through a YAML configuration file. It orchestrates the lifecycle of interconnected services, allowing them to be started, stopped, and scaled as a single unit.
I use Docker Compose to start my database and web server together.
The development team shared a Docker Compose file so everyone could run the exact same environment on their own laptops.
By defining the microservices architecture in a single Docker Compose manifest, the engineers ensured that the networking and volume dependencies were consistently applied across all local development environments.
A compound term formed from the proper name of the software platform Docker and the English verb compose, derived from the Old French composer. The name reflects the tool's function in arranging multiple components into a single structure.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Usually treated as a proper noun; the command-line interface is accessed via 'docker-compose' or 'docker compose'.
Last updated July 22, 2026