compose

[ kuhm-pohz ]

/ kəmˈpoʊz /

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See synonyms for: compose / composed / composing on Thesaurus.com

Definition of compose

verb (used with object), com·posed, com·pos·ing.

to make or form by combining things, parts, or elements: He composed his speech from many research notes.

to be or constitute a part or element of: a rich sauce composed of many ingredients.

to make up or form the basis of: Style composes the essence of good writing.

to put or dispose in proper form or order: to compose laws into a coherent system.

Art. to organize the parts or elements of (a picture or the like).

to create (a musical, literary, or choreographic work).

to end or settle (a quarrel, dispute, etc.): The union and management composed their differences.

to bring (oneself, one's mind, etc.) to a condition of calmness, repose, etc.; calm; quiet.

Printing.

to set (type).
to set type for (an article, book, etc.).

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.

OTHER WORDS FOR compose

8 settle, collect.

See synonyms for compose on Thesaurus.com

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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

Words nearby compose

componentry, compony, comport, comportance, comportment, compose, composed, composer, composing room, composing stick, composite

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use compose in a sentence

Despite being smaller than Earth’s moon, and despite temperatures hovering around -390 degrees Fahrenheit, Pluto has a complex atmosphere composed of nitrogen laced with methane and carbon monoxide and filled with an unexpected blue haze.
These Images Expose the Dark Side of the Solar System - Issue 89: The Dark Side|Corey S. Powell|August 26, 2020|Nautilus
In the new study, Kwok-Yung Yuen, a microbiologist at the University of Hong Kong, and colleagues analyzed most of the genetic blueprint, composed of RNA, of each of the patient’s coronavirus infections and looked for differences.
A man in Hong Kong is the first confirmed case of coronavirus reinfection|Erin Garcia de Jesus|August 24, 2020|Science News
The goal hasn’t been to get cheaper but to get better composed, that’s ongoing and will continue.
‘It’s less dire than it seemed to be’: How The Wall Street Journal’s digital ads business has weathered the downturn|Lucinda Southern|August 20, 2020|Digiday
Yet if you examine very large, massive galaxies you find that they tend to be composed of older stars, suggesting that they’ve already sat around in their dotage for a very long time.
The Universe Has Made Almost All the Stars It Will Ever Make - Issue 89: The Dark Side|Caleb Scharf|August 19, 2020|Nautilus

His commentaries comparing Galileo’s time to today’s are weaved into an engagingly composed and pleasantly readable account.
A new Galileo biography draws parallels to today’s science denialism|Tom Siegfried|August 11, 2020|Science News
He then enlisted the help of New York City musician Carlo Nicolau to compose the music.
The Government Is Using Subliminal Songs To Scare Immigrants|Caitlin Dickson|July 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“One can no more write good English than one can compose good music by merely keeping to the rules,” he wrote.
Will Jargon Be the Death of the English Language?|The Telegraph|March 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Perhaps compose a fiction about hard-wired fictionalizing, a fiction that reminds readers of their synaptic deceptions.
The Brain Man: What is E. L. Doctorow Up to?|Tom LeClair|January 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But Google grumble grumble makes me compose new messages in a tiny window, you say.
Gmail Priority Inbox Freakout: Calm Down, Guys, Opting Out Is Easy|Winston Ross|July 23, 2013|DAILY BEAST
After defense explained that it did not consider the document intelligence, Lind compose herself and let defense proceed.
Is Judge Denise Lind Bradley Manning’s Biggest Enemy?|Alexa O'Brien|July 19, 2013|DAILY BEAST
He placed the paper on the table, and, ere he read a syllable, he laboured to compose himself.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
We suddenly realized that after all the greatness and strength of a nation is made up of the men and women who compose it.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock
The act of the Covenanting Society is complex, and is the aggregate of the actings of all who compose it.
The Ordinance of Covenanting|John Cunningham
Controve, compose or invent tunes, foule fayle, fail miserably.
Chaucer's Works, Volume 1 (of 7) -- Romaunt of the Rose; Minor Poems|Geoffrey Chaucer
About this time he began to compose, although his attempts were merely improvisations.
The Life & Letters of Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky|Modeste Tchaikovsky

British Dictionary definitions for compose

compose

/ (kəmˈpəʊz) /

verb (mainly tr)

to put together or make up by combining; put in proper order

to be the component elements of

to produce or create (a musical or literary work)

(intr) to write music

to calm (someone, esp oneself); make quiet

to adjust or settle (a quarrel, etc)

to order the elements of (a painting, sculpture, etc); design

printing to set up (type)

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

compose

Definition of compose

OTHER WORDS FOR compose

Origin of compose

OTHER WORDS FROM compose

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH compose

Words nearby compose

Words related to compose

How to use compose in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for compose

Word Origin for compose