decompose

[ dee-kuhm-pohz ]
/ ˌdi kəmˈpoʊz /

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

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), de·com·posed, de·com·pos·ing.

to rot; putrefy: The egg began to decompose after a day in the sun.

Origin of decompose

1745–55; < French décomposer, equivalent to dé- dis-1 + composer to compose

synonym study for decompose

2. See decay.

OTHER WORDS FROM decompose

de·com·pos·a·ble, adjective de·com·pos·a·bil·i·ty, noun un·de·com·pos·a·ble, adjective

Example sentences from the Web for decomposable

British Dictionary definitions for decomposable

decompose
/ (ˌdiːkəmˈpəʊz) /

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

Derived forms of decompose

decomposable, adjective decomposability, noun decomposition (ˌdiːkɒmpəˈzɪʃən), noun