decompose

[ dee-kuhm-pohz ]

verb (used with object)

, de·com·posed, de·com·pos·ing.

1. 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)

, de·com·posed, de·com·pos·ing.

1. to rot; putrefy:

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

decompose

/ ˌdiːkəmˈpəʊz; ˌdiːkɒmpəˈzɪʃən /

verb

1. to break down (organic matter) or (of organic matter) to be broken down physically and chemically by bacterial or fungal action; rot
2. chem to break down or cause to break down into simpler chemical compounds
3. to break up or separate into constituent parts
4. 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

• ˌdecomˌposaˈbility, noun
• decomposition, noun
• ˌdecomˈposable, adjective

Other Words From

• decom·posa·ble adjective
• decom·posa·bili·ty noun
• unde·com·posa·ble adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of decompose¹

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

Synonym Study

See decay.

Example Sentences

“Human excrement can take over a year to decompose in the desert environment of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Now imagine the impact of 500,000 to a million people pooping in a fairly limited desert area over the course of a year.”

From Los Angeles Times

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

From BBC

Because bodies decompose incredibly quickly in the sweltering heat, the total number is almost certainly higher.

From Salon

Petroleum-based plastics never fully decompose; they break down into smaller and smaller pieces, which have now been found in the deepest trenches of our oceans, in the snows atop the highest mountains, in our air, water, food and bodies.

From Los Angeles Times

There are other ways to enjoy pumpkins – for example, if you decompose it with koji mold, it creates a delicious pumpkin amazake, a Japanese fermented sweet rice drink.

From Salon

Related Words

• break down
• decay
• disintegrate
• dissolve
• fall apart
• molder