decompose

American

[dee-kuhm-pohz] / ˌdi kəmˈpoʊz /

verb (used with object)

decomposed, decomposing

to separate or resolve into constituent parts or elements; disintegrate.

The bacteria decomposed the milk into its solid and liquid elements.

Synonyms:

analyze, fractionate, distill

verb (used without object)

decomposed, decomposing

to rot; putrefy.

The egg began to decompose after a day in the sun.

decompose British

/ 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

"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

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.

If we change, on a larger systemic level, the way we grow, distribute and decompose food, then we’ll be in a much better place.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2026

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 • Jan. 26, 2026

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.

From Science Daily • Nov. 2, 2025

It is used in solving antibiotic resistance and to image enzymes that can decompose plastics.

From BBC • Oct. 9, 2024

Scavengers could come and eat the dead animals, and what was left of their bodies would decompose and enrich the soil.

From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023