compendium

American  

[kuhm-pen-dee-uhm] / kəmˈpɛn di əm /

Also compend

noun

plural

compendiums, compendia

1. a brief treatment or account of a subject, especially an extensive subject; concise treatise.

   a compendium of medicine.

   Synonyms:

   conspectus, digest, survey

2. a summary, epitome, or abridgment.

3. a full list or inventory.

   a compendium of their complaints.

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compendium British  

/ kəmˈpɛndɪəm /

noun

1. a book containing a collection of useful hints

2. a selection, esp of different games or other objects in one container

3. a concise but comprehensive summary of a larger work

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Etymology

Origin of compendium

1575–85; < Latin: gain, saving, shortcut, abridgment, equivalent to com- com- + pend- (stem of pendere to cause to hang down, weigh) + -ium -ium

Example Sentences

Just inside, a note identifying the publisher as R. L. Polk & Co, the name everyone uses when they talk about the compendium of businesses and people.

From Literature

Most of “The Women” is devoted to works made between 1951 and 1966, offering a compendium of wide-ranging approaches and occasional surprises.

From The Wall Street Journal

“He’s been called the Christmas devil,” said Jeff Belanger, author of “The Fright Before Christmas,” a compendium of so-called “Yuletide monsters.”

From Los Angeles Times

Perhaps no less important, this compendium captures both the end of the Pahlavi monarchy and the start of the theocracy that still governs Iran, granting viewers an often telling glimpse of Persian society in flux.

From The Wall Street Journal

The release of “Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run” is accompanied by a new compendium of standout tracks by McCartney and Wings.

From Salon