compact

¹ American  

[kuhm-pakt, kom-, kom-pakt, kuhm-pakt, kom-pakt] / kəmˈpækt, kɒm-, ˈkɒm pækt, kəmˈpækt, ˈkɒm pækt /

adjective

1. joined or packed together; closely and firmly united; dense; solid.

   compact soil.

2. arranged within a relatively small space.

   a compact shopping center;

   a compact kitchen.

   Synonyms:

   snug, small

3. designed to be small in size and economical in operation.

4. solidly or firmly built.

   the compact body of a lightweight wrestler.

5. expressed concisely; pithy; terse; not diffuse.

   a compact review of the week's news.

   Synonyms:

   brief, succinct, concise

6. composed or made (usually followed byof ).

   a book compact of form and content.

7. Mathematics. Also (of a set) having the property that in any collection of open sets whose union contains the given set there exists a finite number of open sets whose union contains the given set; having the property that every open cover has a finite subcover.

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verb (used with object)

1. to join or pack closely together; consolidate; condense.

   Synonyms:

   compress

2. to make firm or stable.

   Synonyms:

   solidify, stabilize

3. to form or make by close union or conjunction; make up or compose.

4. Metallurgy. to compress (metallic or metallic and nonmetallic powders) in a die to be sintered.

5. to crush into compact form for convenient disposal or for storage until disposal.

   to compact rubbish.

noun

1. a small case containing a mirror, face powder, a puff, and sometimes rouge.

2. Also called compact car.  an automobile that is smaller than an intermediate but larger than a subcompact and generally has a combined passenger and luggage volume of 100–110 cu. ft. (2.8–3.1 m3 ).

3. Metallurgy. (in powder metallurgy) an object to be sintered formed of metallic or of metallic and nonmetallic powders compressed in a die.

compact ² American  

[kom-pakt] / ˈkɒm pækt /

noun

1. a formal agreement between two or more parties, states, etc.; contract.

   the proposed economic compact between Germany and France.

   Synonyms:

   concordat, convention, entente, pact, treaty

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compact ¹ British  

adjective

1. closely packed together; dense

2. neatly fitted into a restricted space

3. concise; brief

4. well constructed; solid; firm

5. (foll by of) composed or made up (of)

6. denoting a tabloid-sized version of a newspaper that has traditionally been published in broadsheet form

7. logic (of a relation) having the property that for any pair of elements such that a is related to b, there is some element c such that a is related to c and c to b, as less than on the rational numbers

8. (of a car) small and economical

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verb

1. to pack or join closely together; compress; condense

2. (foll by of) to create or form by pressing together

   sediment compacted of three types of clay

3. metallurgy to compress (a metal powder) to form a stable product suitable for sintering

noun

1. a small flat case containing a mirror, face powder, etc, designed to be carried in a woman's handbag

2. a comparatively small and economical car

3. metallurgy a mass of metal prepared for sintering by cold-pressing a metal powder

4. a tabloid-sized version of a newspaper that has traditionally been publis hed in broadsheet form

compact ² British  

/ ˈkɒmpækt /

noun

1. an official contract or agreement

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Related Words

See agreement.

Other Word Forms

• compactedly adverb
• compactedness noun
• compacter noun
• compaction noun
• compactly adverb
• compactness noun
• uncompacted adjective
• well-compacted adjective

Etymology

Origin of compact¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin compāctus (past participle of compingere “to shut away, put away, bind together”), equivalent to com- prefix + pag-, stem of pangere “to fix, arrange” + -tus past participle suffix; com-; peace; pact, compact ² )

Origin of compact²

First recorded in 1550–60; from Latin compactum, compectum, noun use of neuter of compactus (past participle of compacīscī “to make an agreement”), equivalent to com- prefix + pac- (stem of pacīscī “to secure by negotiation” + -tus past participle ending); com-; compact ¹, pact, peace

Example Sentences

Greenland’s leaders and polls indicate a preference to remain with Denmark, despite U.S. interest in a compact of free association.

From The Wall Street Journal

"Even changing to play lower and deeper and compact space didn't really help us in our efforts," the Newcastle head coach sighed.

From BBC

That’s a tall order for a compact book, especially given its subject’s long, complicated life.

From Los Angeles Times

At the next locker over, a girl with frizzy brown curls applied lipstick behind a small gold compact.

From Literature

Today Prague is one of the most visited cities in Europe, the national capital for a compact Czech nation-state.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• solid
• tight