<B>compliant, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> complying; yielding; obliging. <BR> <I>Ex. A compliant person gives in to other people.</I> (SYN) acquiescent. adv. <B>compliantly.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="complicacy">
<B>complicacy, </B>noun, pl. <B>-cies.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the quality or state of being complicated. <DD><B> 2. </B>a complicated thing. </DL>
<A NAME="complicate">
<B>complicate, </B>verb. <B>-cated,</B> <B>-cating,</B> adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to make hard to understand or to settle; mix up; confuse. <BR> <I>Ex. Too many rules complicate a game.</I> (SYN) involve. <DD><B> 2. </B>to make worse or more mixed up. <BR> <I>Ex. Her constant headaches were complicated by eye trouble.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>to entangle. <DD><I>v.i. </I> to become complicated. <DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>(Botany.) folded upon itself. <DD><B> 2. </B>(of insect's wings) folded lengthwise one or more times. <DD><B> 3. </B>(Archaic.) complicated; complex. </DL>
<A NAME="complicated">
<B>complicated, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> hard to understand; involved; complex. <BR> <I>Ex. a complicated puzzle, a complicated design, complicated negotiations. Many cookbooks have very complicated directions.</I> (SYN) intricate. adv. <B>complicatedly.</B> noun <B>complicatedness.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="complication">
<B>complication, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a confused state of affairs that is hard to understand or settle. <BR> <I>Ex. Such a complication of little rules makes this game hard to learn. His business complications required three lawyers to straighten them out.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>something that makes matters harder to untangle or settle; difficulty or problem added to one or more already existing. <BR> <I>Ex. Pneumonia was the complication the doctor feared most after the operation.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>the act of complicating. <BR> <I>Ex. The designer's complication of the diagram with too many details made the plan hard to understand.</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>an element in a story or play which complicates the plot. <DD><B> 5. </B>(Psychology.) the association of perceptions received through different senses, such as the association of smell and taste in eating food. </DL>
<A NAME="complice">
<B>complice, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Archaic.) an accomplice; associate; confederate. </DL>
<A NAME="complicity">
<B>complicity, </B>noun, pl. <B>-ties.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the state of being an accomplice; partnership in wrongdoing. <BR> <I>Ex. Knowingly receiving stolen goods is complicity in theft.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B><B>=complexity.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="compliment">
<B>compliment, </B>noun, verb.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>something good said about one; something said in praise. <BR> <I>Ex. to make or pay a compliment. The famous actress was used to hearing many compliments.</I> (SYN) commendation, tribute. <DD><B> 2. </B>a courteous act. <BR> <I>Ex. The town paid the old artist the compliment of a large audience at his exhibit.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>(Dialect.) a complimentary gift; present. <DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to pay a compliment to; congratulate. <BR> <I>Ex. In awarding the prize, the chairman complimented the winner on his fine exhibit.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to give something to (a person) as a polite attention. <BR> <I>Ex. He complimented his mother with an orchid corsage.</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>compliments,</B> </I>formal respects, remembrances, or greetings. <BR> <I>Ex. In the box of flowers was a card saying "With the compliments of a friend."</I> noun <B>complimenter.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="complimental">
<B>complimental, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of or implying a compliment; complimentary. adv. <B>complimentally.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="complimentary">
<B>complimentary, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>expressing a compliment; praising. <BR> <I>Ex. a complimentary remark.</I> (SYN) commendatory, laudatory. <DD><B> 2. </B>(U.S.) given free. <BR> <I>Ex. The author received two complimentary copies of his new book.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>using a compliment or compliments. <BR> <I>Ex. He was complimentary about the preparations for the fair.</I> adv. <B>complimentarily.</B> noun <B>complimentariness.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="complimentaryclose">
<B>complimentary close,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a polite parting phrase used in closing a letter, as "Sincerely Yours." </DL>
<A NAME="compliments">
<B>compliments, </B>noun pl.<DL COMPACT><DD> See under <B>compliment.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="complin">
<B>complin, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the last of the seven canonical hours. <DD><B> 2. </B>the service for it, now usually following vespers. </DL>
<A NAME="compline">
<B>compline, </B>noun. =complin.</DL>
<A NAME="complot">
<B>complot, </B>noun, verb, <B>-plotted,</B> <B>-plotting.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> (Archaic.) <DD><I>noun </I> a conspiracy; plot. <BR> <I>Ex. I know their complot is to have my life (Shakespeare).</I> <DD><I>v.t., v.i. </I> to plot together. </DL>
<A NAME="complutensian">
<B>Complutensian, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> of or having to do with the earliest complete polyglot Bible, published in the early 1500's in Alcala de Henares, a town in Spain. </DL>
<A NAME="compluvium">
<B>compluvium, </B>noun, pl. <B>-via.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a quadrangular opening in the roof of the atrium in ancient Roman houses toward which the roof sloped and through which the rainwater fell into the impluvium. </DL>
<A NAME="comply">
<B>comply, </B>intransitive verb, <B>-plied,</B> <B>-plying.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>to act in agreement with a request or a command. <BR> <I>Ex. He complied with the doctor's order that he take a rest. He that complies against his will is of his own opinion still (Samuel Butler).</I> (SYN) consent, yield, accede. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Obsolete.) to use compliments; observe courtesies. noun <B>complier.</B> adv. <B>complyingly.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="compo">
<B>compo, </B>noun, pl. <B>-pos.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>any one of various composite substances, such as stucco, cement, or ornamental plaster; composition. <DD><B> 2. </B>a substitute for ivory in making billiard balls. </DL>
<A NAME="compone">
<B>compone, </B>adjective. =compony.</DL>
<A NAME="component">
<B>component, </B>noun, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a necessary or essential part; one of the parts that make up a whole. <BR> <I>Ex. A chemist can separate a medicine into its components. Because alcohol is a solvent, it is a component of many liquid medicines.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>(Physics.) one of the parts of a force, velocity, etc., out of which the whole may be compounded or into which it may be resolved. <DD><I>adj. </I> that composes; constituent. <BR> <I>Ex. Blade and handle are the component parts of a knife.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="compony">
<B>compony, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> (Heraldry.) (of a bend) composed of small squares of two alternate tinctures in one row. Also, <B>compone.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="comport">
<B>comport</B> (1), verb, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>v.t. </I> to conduct (oneself) in a certain manner; behave. <BR> <I>Ex. A judge should comport himself with dignity.</I> <DD><I>v.i. </I> to agree (with); suit. <BR> <I>Ex. Silliness does not comport with the position of judge.</I> (SYN) accord, fit. <DD><I>noun </I> (Obsolete.) behavior; comportment. </DL>
<A NAME="comport">
<B>comport</B> (2), noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> a dish for fruit or candy; compote. <BR> <I>Ex. A fine pair of Georgian glass comports (Cape Times).</I> </DL>
<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>
