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Definition

noun, plural: compounds

(general) A material made up of two or more parts or elements.

(chemistry) A substance consisting of atoms or ions of two or more elements that are chemically bonded together, e.g. carbon dioxide, a substance consisting of carbon and two oxygen atoms.

adjective

(zoology) Consisting of distinct individuals that are connected forming a colony, such as a coral.

(botany) Consisting of similar parts that combine to form a whole, as in a compound fruit that developed from several ovaries, or a compound leaf composed of leaflets.

Supplement

Word origin: From Middle English compounen < Middle French componre, compondre "to put together" < Latin componere < Latin com- "together" + ponere "to put".

Compare: mixture.