Dictionary

compose en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /kəmˈpəʉz/ (Australia)
• [kəmˈpɐʉz] (Australia) some speakers
• kəm-pōzʹ
• /kəmˈpoʊz/ (Canada, General-American)
• /kəmˈpəʊz/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (California) audio
• /kəmˈpɐʉz/ (New-Zealand)

Etymology

From Middle English composen, from Old French composer (“to compose, compound, adjust, settle”), from com- + poser, as an adaptation of Latin componere (“to put together, compose”), from com- (“together”) + ponere (“to put, place”).

Meanings

1. (transitive) To make something by merging parts.
   • The editor composed a historical journal from many individual letters.
   • December 22 1678, Thomas Sprat, A Sermon Preached before the King at White-Hall Zeal ought to be composed of the highest degrees of all pious affection.
2. (transitive) To make up the whole; to constitute.
   • A few useful things […] compose their intellectual possessions. 1741, I[saac] Watts, The Improvement of the Mind: Or, A Supplement to the Art of Logick: […], London: […] James Brackstone, […], →OCLC:
   • A church is composed of its members.
3. (nonstandard, transitive) To comprise.
4. (intransitive, transitive) To construct by mental labor; to think up; particularly, to produce or create a literary or musical work.
   • Nine numbered symphonies, including the Fifth, were composed by Beethoven.
   • the genius that composed such works as the "Standard" and "Last Supper" 1838, Benjamin Haydon, Painting, and the fine arts:
   • The orator composed his speech over the week prior.
   • Let me […] compose / Something in Verse as true as Prose. 1714, Alexander Pope, Imitation of Horace, Book II. Sat. 6:
   • It's difficult to compose without absolute silence.
5. (reflexive, sometimes) To calm; to free from agitation.
   • Compose thy mind; / Nor frauds are here contrived, nor force designed. 1697, Virgil, “(please specify the book number)”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:
   • Try to compose your thoughts.
   • The defendant couldn't compose herself and was found in contempt.
6. To arrange the elements of a photograph or other picture.
7. To settle (an argument, dispute etc.); to come to a settlement.
   • By trying his best to compose matters with the mullahs, he had sincerely shown that he did not seek a violent collision […] 2010, Christopher Hitchens, Hitch-22, Atlantic, published 2011, page 280:
8. To arrange in proper form; to reduce to order; to put in proper state or condition.
   • How in safety best we may / Compose our present evils. 1667, John Milton, “Book II”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
   • In a peaceful grave my corpse compose. 1697, Virgil, “(please specify the book number)”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:
9. (dated) To arrange (types) in a composing stick for printing; to typeset.

Forms

Deriveds

composition · composite · composable · composograph · decompose · composing frame · cocompose · composability · compositor · composure · miscompose · precompose · photocompose · recompose · through-composed · composer · composing stick · composing rule · postcompose · discompose

Hyponyms

essentiate · inorb

Relateds

composition

Synonyms

compose · form · represent · comprise · indite · upmake · make up · constitute (make up the whole) · compound

Translations (164)

eo konsisti (to make up the whole; to constitute) · pt constituir (to make up the whole; to constitute) · fr composer (to construct by mental labor; to think up) · nl samenstellen (to make something by merging parts) · el συνθέτω (to make up the whole; to constitute) · uk склада́ти (to make something by merging parts) · pl złożyć (to make something by merging parts) · pl składać się (to make up the whole; to constitute) · eo verki (to construct by mental labor; to think up) · es sosegarse (to calm oneself down) · el συμπεριλαμβάνω (to comprise) · pt recompor-se (to calm oneself down) · vi biên soạn (to construct by mental labor; to think up) · it comporre (to make something by merging parts) · ca compondre (to construct by mental labor; to think up) · he הלחין (to construct by mental labor; to think up) · cs sestavit (to make something by merging parts) · de bilden (to arrange the elements of a picture) · cmn 整理 (to make something by merging parts) · vi soạn thảo (to construct by mental labor; to think up) · pl opanowywać się (to calm oneself down) · de zusammenstellen (to make something by merging parts) · pl uspokajać się (to calm oneself down) · tr bestelemek (to make something by merging parts) · fi koota (to make something by merging parts) · cs dát dohromady (to make up the whole; to constitute) · bg успокоявам (to calm oneself down) · de verfassen (to construct by mental labor; to think up) · pt montar (to make something by merging parts) · nl redigeren (to construct by mental labor; to think up) · la compingō (to make something by merging parts) · pt compor (to construct by mental labor; to think up) · ga cum (to construct by mental labor; to think up) · el περιλαμβάνω (to comprise) · bg композирам (to arrange the elements of a picture) · de zusammensetzen (to make something by merging parts) · fi koostaa (to make something by merging parts) · de einschliessen (to comprise) · pl komponować (to arrange the elements of a picture) · et rahunema (to calm oneself down) · ru составля́ть (to make up the whole; to constitute) · es componer (to construct by mental labor; to think up) · hi रचना (to construct by mental labor; to think up) · ru соста́вить (to make something by merging parts) · ru собра́ться (to calm oneself down) · cs uklidnit se (to calm oneself down) · de komponieren (to make something by merging parts) · ang wyrcan (to construct by mental labor; to think up) · cmn 構成 /构成 (to comprise) · cmn 創作 /创作 (to construct by mental labor; to think up) · gl compor (to make something by merging parts) · es constar de (to comprise) · cmn 作曲 (to construct by mental labor; to think up) · bg съчинявам (to construct by mental labor; to think up) · ru собира́ть (to make something by merging parts) · el περιέχω (to comprise) · de sich beruhigen (to calm oneself down) · cs naaranžovat (to arrange the elements of a picture) · ca compondre (to make something by merging parts) · fi rauhoittua (to calm oneself down) · pl opanować się (to calm oneself down) · tr bestelemek (to construct by mental labor; to think up) · cmn 編寫 /编写 (to make something by merging parts) · az bəstələmək (to construct by mental labor; to think up) · nl vormen (to make up the whole; to constitute) · bg съста́вям (to make something by merging parts) · pl wymyślić (to construct by mental labor; to think up) · cmn 構圖 /构图 (to arrange the elements of a picture) · fi käsittää (to comprise) · pl skomponować (to arrange the elements of a picture) · cs obsahovat (to comprise) · hu lecsillapodik (to calm oneself down) · el συνέρχομαι (to calm oneself down) · pl wymyślać (to construct by mental labor; to think up) · pl uspokoić się (to calm oneself down) · de komponieren (to construct by mental labor; to think up) · la compōnō (to construct by mental labor; to think up) · is semja (to construct by mental labor; to think up) · pt compor (to make something by merging parts) · nl composeren (to arrange the elements of a picture) · hy հորինել (to construct by mental labor; to think up) · pt compor (to arrange the elements of a picture) · fr composer (to make something by merging parts) · uk скомпонува́ти (to make something by merging parts) · de sich fassen (to calm oneself down) · pl złożyć się z (to comprise) · ru соста́вить (to make up the whole; to constitute) · tl bumuo (to make something by merging parts) · fi säveltää (to construct by mental labor; to think up) · ar أَلَّفَ (to construct by mental labor; to think up) · fi muodostaa (to comprise) · el απαρτίζω (to make up the whole; to constitute) · cmn 編寫 /编写 (to construct by mental labor; to think up) · ru собира́ться (to calm oneself down) · la compono (to make something by merging parts) · ro compune (to make up the whole; to constitute) · pl składać się z (to comprise) · et looma (to construct by mental labor; to think up) · pl złożyć się (to make up the whole; to constitute) · uk скла́сти (to construct by mental labor; to think up) · el συνθέτω (to construct by mental labor; to think up) · et koostama (to make something by merging parts) · de enthalten (to comprise) · he חיבר (to construct by mental labor; to think up) · es componer (to make something by merging parts) · cmn 創作 /创作 (to make something by merging parts) · et sisaldama (to comprise) · de zusammenstellen (to arrange the elements of a picture) · ru сочини́ть (to construct by mental labor; to think up) · cs sestavit (to arrange the elements of a picture) · ru написа́ть (to construct by mental labor; to think up) · cmn 構成 /构成 (to make up the whole; to constitute) · cs složit (to construct by mental labor; to think up) · bg образувам (to make up the whole; to constitute) · es conformar (to make up the whole; to constitute) · pl wynajdować (to construct by mental labor; to think up) · pt compor-se de) (to comprise) · ru писа́ть (to construct by mental labor; to think up) · cs zklidnit se (to calm oneself down) · cmn 組成 /组成 (to make up the whole; to constitute) · ru сочиня́ть (to construct by mental labor; to think up) · fi luoda (to construct by mental labor; to think up) · cmn 作曲 (to make something by merging parts) · bg творя (to construct by mental labor; to think up) · de abfassen (to construct by mental labor; to think up) · vi sáng tác (to make something by merging parts) · uk скомпонува́ти (to construct by mental labor; to think up) · uk компонува́ти (to make something by merging parts) · el ηρεμώ (to calm oneself down) · vi soạn (to construct by mental labor; to think up) · vi phổ (to make something by merging parts) · pl wynaleźć (to construct by mental labor; to think up) · nl bedaren (to calm oneself down) · cmn 組成 /组成 (to comprise) · uz bastalamoq (to construct by mental labor; to think up) · pl składać (to make something by merging parts) · ru составля́ть (to make something by merging parts) · es componer (to arrange the elements of a picture) · uk скла́сти (to make something by merging parts) · ota دوزمك (to construct by mental labor; to think up) · pt compor (to make up the whole; to constitute) · grc συντάσσω (to make something by merging parts) · bg съставям се от (to make up the whole; to constitute) · cs obsáhnout (to comprise) · uk склада́ти (to construct by mental labor; to think up) · fi sommitella (to arrange the elements of a picture) · el συνθέτω (to make something by merging parts) · nl omvatten (to comprise) · cmn 平靜 /平静 (to calm oneself down) · fi muodostaa (to make up the whole; to constitute) · cmn 整理 (to construct by mental labor; to think up) · fr composer (to make up the whole; to constitute) · cs vytvořit (to construct by mental labor; to think up) · non yrkja (to construct by mental labor; to think up) · ota دوزمك (to make something by merging parts) · nl componeren (to construct by mental labor; to think up) · es componerse de (to comprise) · ro compune (to make something by merging parts) · ru состоя́ть (to make up the whole; to constitute) · cmn 鎮靜 /镇静 (to calm oneself down) · de umfasst (to comprise) · et moodustama (to make up the whole; to constitute) · hi कृति (to construct by mental labor; to think up) · uk компонува́ти (to construct by mental labor; to think up)