decompose
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
verb
-
to break down (organic matter) or (of organic matter) to be broken down physically and chemically by bacterial or fungal action; rot
-
chem to break down or cause to break down into simpler chemical compounds
-
to break up or separate into constituent parts
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(tr) maths to express in terms of a number of independent simpler components, as a set as a canonical union of disjoint subsets, or a vector into orthogonal components
Related Words
See decay.
Other Word Forms
- decomposability noun
- decomposable adjective
- decomposition noun
- undecomposable adjective
Etymology
Origin of decompose
1745–55; < French décomposer, equivalent to dé- dis- 1 + composer to compose
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.
In regions such as the Amazon Basin, the Congo Basin, and the wetlands of Southeast Asia, thick layers of partially decomposed plant material build up over time.
From Science Daily
Instead of fully decomposing, plant material builds up layer upon layer over thousands of years, forming deep deposits of peat that lock away carbon for the long term.
From Science Daily
Before Jon Hallford was sentenced, he apologised in court and listened to family members describe having nightmares about their loved ones decomposing in his care.
From BBC
Scavengers could come and eat the dead animals, and what was left of their bodies would decompose and enrich the soil.
From Literature
Despite recycling efforts, most plastic ends up in landfills where it can take centuries to decompose, leaching out chemicals during that time, Deeney said.
From Barron's
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.
