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decompose
[dee-kuhm-pohz]
verb (used with object)
to separate or resolve into constituent parts or elements; disintegrate.
The bacteria decomposed the milk into its solid and liquid elements.
verb (used without object)
to rot; putrefy.
The egg began to decompose after a day in the sun.
decompose
/ ˌdiːkəmˈpəʊz, ˌdiːkɒmpəˈzɪʃən /
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
(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
Other Word Forms
- decomposable adjective
- decomposability noun
- undecomposable adjective
- decomposition noun
Word History and Origins
Origin of decompose1
Synonym Study
Example Sentences
The county's medical examiner previously said Ms Rivas Hernandez's body was "severely decomposed" when it was found in September and deferred making a ruling on how she died pending the death investigation.
The air was thick with the stench of a decomposing dog, left out to rot with no residents around to remove it.
“You have an instant fatality that leaves no marks on the skeletal remains. Unfortunately, the soft tissues that would show us what happened have decomposed in the past hundred years.”
“It is this sort of shell—a completely decomposing, ineffective thing.”
This creates a powerful feedback loop: more nutrients lead to more algae, which consume more oxygen as they decompose, which in turn releases even more nutrients.
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