compile
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to put together (documents, selections, or other materials) in one book or work.
-
to make (a book, writing, or the like) of materials from various sources.
to compile an anthology of plays; to compile a graph showing changes in profit.
-
to gather together.
to compile data.
-
Computers. to translate (a computer program) from a high-level language into another language, usually machine language, using a compiler.
verb
-
to make or compose from other materials or sources
to compile a list of names
-
to collect or gather for a book, hobby, etc
-
computing to create (a set of machine instructions) from a high-level programming language, using a compiler
Other Word Forms
- precompile verb (used with object)
- recompile verb (used with object)
- uncompiled adjective
- well-compiled adjective
Etymology
Origin of compile
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English, from Latin compīlāre “to rob, pillage, steal from another writer,” equivalent to com- “with” + -pīlāre, perhaps akin to pīla “column, pier,” pīlāre “to fix firmly, plant” (hence, “pile up, accumulate”); com-, pile 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Purchasing Managers' Indices compiled monthly by S&P Global are the data equivalent of the canary in the coal mine.
From Barron's
To help his 17-year-old daughter, he compiled a career guide analyzing what professional roles couldn’t be replicated by AI—doctors and diplomats were among the safe fields.
He’s also used it to apply for a mortgage and compile expense reports.
The briefings compile intelligence from complaints made to Trading Standards by community members and different authorities, as well as intelligence from "regional databases such as Citizens Advice Bureau… Companies House data… and open source research".
From BBC
The survey was compiled by Bank of America’s strategy team, headed up by chief investment strategist Michael Hartnett, and attracted responses from 181 fund managers running half a trillion dollars of assets.
From MarketWatch
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
