Dictionary.com

compose

[ kuhm-pohz ]
/ kəmˈpoʊz /
Save This Word!
See synonyms for: compose / composed / composing on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), com·posed, com·pos·ing.
verb (used without object), com·posed, com·pos·ing.
to engage in composition, especially musical composition.
to enter into composition; fall into an arrangement: a scene that composes well.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?

Origin of compose

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English word from Middle French word composer.See com-, pose1

OTHER WORDS FROM compose

com·pos·a·ble, adjectiveun·com·pos·a·ble, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH compose

compose , comprise
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use compose in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for compose

compose
/ (kəmˈpəʊz) /

verb (mainly tr)

Word Origin for compose

C15: from Old French composer, from Latin compōnere to put in place; see component
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
FEEDBACK