compound

com|pound1 [ `kam,paund ] noun **

1. ) count SCIENCE a chemical substance that consists of two or more elements:

Name the parts of this chemical compound.

Water is a compound of hydrogen and oxygen.

a ) count or uncount something that consists of two or more substances mixed together:

an old herbal compound used for treating headaches

2. ) count a combination of things:

John and Steve working together? That's a lethal compound.

3. ) count an enclosed area where a particular group of people live or where people such as soldiers and prisoners can exercise

4. ) count LINGUISTICS a combination of two or more words that is used as a single word. The three different types of compound are noun compounds (for example bus stop ), adjective compounds (for example self-centered ), and verb compounds (for example wind-surf ).

compound

com|pound 2 [ `kam,paund ] adjective only before noun

1. ) made up of two or more parts:

a compound leaf

2. ) a compound noun, adjective, or verb is a combination of two or more words

compound

com|pound 3 [ kəm`paund ] verb transitive *

1. ) to pay interest both on an amount of money as well as on the interest that has been added to it

2. ) to make a problem or difficult situation worse:

Their problems are compounded by the fact that Mary's just lost her job.

3. ) to mix two or more substances together in order to make a new substance or product

be compounded of something FORMAL

to be made up of two or more things