<B>comportment, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> behavior; personal bearing. (SYN) demeanor, deportment. </DL>
<A NAME="compose">
<B>compose, </B>verb, <B>-posed,</B> <B>-posing.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to make up. <BR> <I>Ex. The ocean is composed of salt water. Our party was composed of three grown-ups and four children. Water composes nearly 70 per cent of the human body.</I> (SYN) form, constitute. <DD><B> 2. </B>to put together; arrange or produce: <DD><B> a. </B>to create or write (music). <BR> <I>Ex. Beethoven composed nine symphonies.</I> <DD><B> b. </B>to construct in words; write. <BR> <I>Ex. Poe composed mystery stories as well as love poems.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>to set (type) to form words and sentences; arrange (words) in type. <BR> <I>Ex. to compose the front page of a newspaper.</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>to arrange the parts of (a painting). <DD><B> 5. </B>to get (oneself) ready; put in a proper state. <BR> <I>Ex. After washing the dishes she composed herself to read a book. The witness tried to compose herself to meet the prosecution's embarrassing questions.</I> <DD><B> 6. </B>to make calm; calm (oneself or one's features). <BR> <I>Ex. Stop crying and compose yourself before the doctor gets here.</I> (SYN) quiet, relax. <DD><B> 7. </B>to settle; adjust. <BR> <I>Ex. to compose a dispute. The players and the coach composed their differences.</I> (SYN) reconcile. <DD><I>v.i. </I> <B>1a. </B>to write music; be a composer. <BR> <I>Ex. The conductor composes only in the morning.</I> <DD><B> b. </B>to write books, poems, or other literary works; be an author. <BR> <I>Ex. They say he's an excellent poet ... composing as he goes in the street (Ben Jonson).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to set up type in a printing office. </DL>
<A NAME="composed">
<B>composed, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>calm; quiet; self-controlled; tranquil. <BR> <I>Ex. The doctor's composed nature calmed his nervous patient.</I> (SYN) serene, cool, collected. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Obsolete.) elaborately or well put together. adv. <B>composedly.</B> noun <B>composedness.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="composer">
<B>composer, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a writer of music. <BR> <I>Ex. Early composers usually performed their own music (Grant Fletcher).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>a person or thing that composes. <DD><B> 3. </B>an author. </DL>
<A NAME="composingmachine">
<B>composing machine,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a machine that sets type for printing; typesetter. </DL>
<A NAME="composingroom">
<B>composing room,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the room or area in which type is set in a printing or typesetting plant. </DL>
<A NAME="composingrule">
<B>composing rule,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a thin piece of brass or steel fitted to the composing stick, on or against which the type is placed and arranged. </DL>
<A NAME="composingstick">
<B>composing stick,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a small metal tray in which type is set by hand. </DL>
<A NAME="composite">
<B>composite, </B>adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>made up of various parts; compound. <BR> <I>Ex. The photographer made a composite picture by putting together parts of several others.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>belonging to the composite family. <DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>any composite thing. <BR> <I>Ex. English is a composite of many languages.</I> (SYN) combination, compound, complex. <DD><B> 2. </B>a composite plant. <DD><B> 3. </B><B>=composite number.</B> <DD><B> 4. </B>a strong, lightweight, plasticlike material used for building a very light aircraft. <BR> <I>Ex. Composites--nonmetallic materials that are built up in thin layers--call for entirely different design, production, testing, and inspection facilities (Jerry Grey).</I> adv. <B>compositely.</B> noun <B>compositeness.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="composite">
<B>Composite, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Architecture.) of or designating a columnar order derived by Roman architects from a combination of the Greek Corinthian and Ionic styles. The typical Composite capital is decorated with the acanthus leaves of the Corinthian order surmounted by the volutes of the Ionic. </DL>
<A NAME="compositefamily">
<B>composite family,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a very large plant family comprising the most highly developed plants, including the daisy, aster, dandelion, marigold, and lettuce. The dicotyledonous plants of this family have a close head of many small flowers, or florets, surrounded by a series of bracts, the whole popularly referred to as the flower. </DL>
<A NAME="compositenumber">
<B>composite number,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a number exactly divisible by some whole number other than itself or one. 4, 6, and 9 are composite numbers; 2, 3, 5, and 7 are prime numbers. </DL>
<A NAME="compositephotograph">
<B>composite photograph,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a single photograph produced by combining (usually in printing) two or more originally separate ones. </DL>
<A NAME="compositeportrait">
<B>composite portrait,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a portrait made by combining various descriptions, especially the portrait or picture of a wanted criminal drawn on the basis of individual features described by identifying witnesses. <BR> <I>Ex. A composite portrait of a man with heavy eyebrows, a domed forehead, a flat nose, and a scar on his left cheek (New Yorker).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="compositeschool">
<B>composite school,</B> (in Canada) <B>=comprehensive school.</B></DL>
<A NAME="compositetrack">
<B>composite track,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a sound track made by blending separate records of voice, music, and sound effects. This track is printed with the silent motion picture to make a complete sound and picture print. </DL>
<A NAME="composition">
<B>composition, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1a. </B>the makeup of anything; what is in it. <BR> <I>Ex. The composition of this candy includes sugar, chocolate, and milk.</I> (SYN) constitution. <DD><B> b. </B>the arrangement of anything composed. <BR> <I>Ex. This painting has vivid colors but poor composition.</I> (SYN) construction, design. <DD><B> 2. </B>a putting together of a whole. Writing sentences, painting pictures, and setting type in printing are all forms of composition. <DD><B> 3. </B>a thing composed. A symphony, poem, or painting is a composition. <DD><B> 4a. </B>a short essay written as a school or college exercise. <BR> <I>Ex. I wrote a composition about my dog.</I> (SYN) theme. <DD><B> b. </B>a course in writing. <BR> <I>Ex. All students are required to take a year of English composition.</I> <DD><B> 5. </B>a mixture of substances; compound. <BR> <I>Ex. The dentist filled my tooth with a composition that had silver and mercury in it.</I> (SYN) blend. <DD><B> 6a. </B>an agreement or compromise; settlement. <BR> <I>Ex. A settlement of a debt in which a creditor agrees to accept part of the money owed to him by a debtor is called a composition.</I> <DD><B> b. </B>the money thus paid. <DD><B> 7. </B>(Grammar.) the formation of compound words. <DD><B> 8. </B>(Obsolete.) bodily constitution. </DL>
<A NAME="compositional">
<B>compositional, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of or having to do with composition; suitable for composition. <BR> <I>Ex. a compositional exercise.</I> adv. <B>compositionally.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="compositionb">
<B>composition B,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a very powerful explosive consisting of a mixture of RDX and liquid TNT, that is replacing TNT in artillery shells. </DL>
<A NAME="compositionboard">
<B>composition board,</B> <B>=wallboard.</B></DL>
<A NAME="compositioncloth">
<B>composition cloth,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a cloth made from long flax, and dressed with a solution that makes it waterproof. It is used for bags, trunk covers, etc. </DL>
<B>composition of forces,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Physics.) the joining or resolution of two or more given forces or vectors (components), acting in the same or different directions, into one force or vector (resultant) having an equivalent effect. </DL>
<A NAME="compositionplane">
<B>composition plane,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Crystallography.) the common plane or base between the two parts of a twin crystal. </DL>
<B>compositorial, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>of or having to do with typesetting or compositors. <DD><B> 2. </B>of or having to do with composers. </DL>
<A NAME="composmentis">
<B>compos mentis,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Law.) of sound mind; sane. </DL>
<B>compossible, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> possible at the same time with something else; capable of coexisting; compatible. </DL>
<A NAME="compost">
<B>compost, </B>noun, verb.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a mixture of decaying leaves, manure, and other nutritive matter, for improving and fertilizing soil. <DD><B> 2. </B>a mixture. (SYN) composition, combination, compound. <DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to make compost of. <BR> <I>Ex. Waste cellophane can be composted ... if small amounts of limestone and fertilizer are used (Science News Letter).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to fertilize with compost. </DL>
<A NAME="compostheap">
<B>compost heap</B> or <B>pile,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a mound of leaves, manure, and other nutritive matter, heaped up for use as compost after its decomposition. <BR> <I>Ex. Every morsel, including potato peel and pea shucks, was carried to the compost heap (Punch).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="composure">
<B>composure, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>calmness; quietness; self-control. <BR> <I>Ex. When his faithful old dog died, the boy's composure was remarkable. We sit down with great composure and write a letter to ourselves (Samuel Johnson).</I> (SYN) serenity, tranquility. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Obsolete.) composition; constitution. </DL>
<A NAME="compotation">
<B>compotation, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a drinking together; carouse. </DL>
<A NAME="compotatory">
<B>compotatory, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>having to do with compotation. <DD><B> 2. </B>addicted to compotation. </DL>
<A NAME="compote">
<B>compote, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a dish with a supporting stem for fruit or candy. <DD><B> 2. </B>stewed fruit. </DL>
