decomposition

American  

[dee-kom-puh-zish-uhn] / ˌdi kɒm pəˈzɪʃ ən /

noun

• decompositions
  plural

1. the act or process of decomposing.

2. the state of being decomposed; decay.

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decomposition Scientific  

/ dē-kŏm′pə-zĭsh′ən /

1. The separation of a substance into simpler substances or basic elements. Decomposition can be brought about by exposure to heat, light, or chemical or biological activity.

2. The process of breaking down organic material, such as dead plant or animal tissue, into smaller molecules that are available for use by the organisms of an ecosystem. Decomposition is carried on by bacteria, fungi, protists, worms, and certain other organisms.

3. See more at detritivore

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• decompositions
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of decomposition

1650–60; probably < French décomposition, derivative of décomposer to decompose; see composition

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Explanation

Decomposition is the process of decaying or rotting. If you've ever left a carved pumpkin on the porch into late November, you have seen and smelled decomposition. A "composition" is a paper or group of items that's put together, while a decomposition is a breaking down or coming apart. You can use the noun decomposition for rotting plants and animals. Some people keep a compost pile for trash decomposition, which produces fertilizer. Studying decomposition lets you see the different stages of rotting, and science teachers often let students leave out a piece of fruit on purpose, just to watch its decomposition and the growth of maggots.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

decomposition decompositions

Many of the bodies are still unidentified, owing to their advanced state of decomposition.

From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026

That decomposition rate served as a simple indicator of how much biological activity was taking place underground.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 28, 2026

Whether a location was a garden, meadow, cultivated field or lawn explained differences in decomposition better than most of the soil characteristics the researchers measured.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 28, 2026

Bodies found at a funeral home in varying states of decomposition had been "simply abandoned" and left "for nature to take its course", a court has heard.

From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026

But pathologists soon realized that too many variables—from the humidity in the air to the type of clothing on the corpse—affect the rate of decomposition to allow a precise calculation.

From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann

Their approach involves clever decompositions of the cube circumscribing the bicylinder. 

From Scientific American ● Jan. 6, 2018

We obtain the same values for and using either method, so the decompositions are the same using either method.

From Textbooks ● Feb. 13, 2015

Although this method is not seen very often in textbooks, we present it here as an alternative that may make some partial fraction decompositions easier.

From Textbooks ● Feb. 13, 2015

So it's not a moment; it's a process that actually begins when the heart stops and culminates in the complete loss of the body, the decompositions of all the cells.

From Time Magazine Archive

Now these are a few illustrations to show you what is meant by chemical decompositions.

From The Chemistry of Hat Manufacturing Lectures Delivered Before the Hat Manufacturers' Association by Albert Shonk

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Related Words

• decay
• disintegration

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