compose
UK /kəmˈpəʊz/ · US /kəmˈpoʊz/ verb
Forms composes composing composed
- verb (transitive) To make something by merging parts. “The editor composed a historical journal from many individual letters.”
- verb (transitive) To make up the whole; to constitute. “A church is composed of its members.”
- verb (transitive, nonstandard) To comprise.
- verb (transitive or intransitive) To construct by mental labor; to think up; particularly, to produce or create a literary or musical work. “The orator composed his speech over the week prior.”
- verb (sometimes reflexive) To calm; to free from agitation. “Try to compose your thoughts.”
- verb To arrange the elements of a photograph or other picture.
- verb To settle (an argument, dispute etc.); to come to a settlement.
- verb To arrange in proper form; to reduce to order; to put in proper state or condition.
Synonyms
constitute form indite compound comprise make up represent upmake write pen compile frame draw up
Etymology
From Middle English composen, from Old French composer (“to compose, compound, adjust, settle”), from com- + poser, as an adaptation of Latin componere (“to put together, compose”), from com- (“together”) + ponere (“to put, place”).
Webster’s 1913
- verb To form by putting together two or more things or parts; to put together; to make up; to fashion.
- verb To form the substance of, or part of the substance of; to constitute.
- verb To come to terms. [Obs.] Shak.
Etymology [F. composer; com- + poser to place. The sense is that of L. componere, but the prigin is different. See Pose, v. t.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “compose”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details