| composure |
calmness of mind or manner; self-possession. |
| compote |
fruit cooked in syrup and served as a dessert. [2 definitions] |
| compound1 |
made up of two or more parts or elements. [12 definitions] |
| compound2 |
an enclosed area in which residential units and sometimes other facilities are provided, as for foreigners in some Middle and Far East countries. [2 definitions] |
| compound eye |
an eye made up of several simple eyes, as is found in most insects. |
| compound fraction |
see "complex fraction." |
| compound fracture |
a fracture in which the broken bone has torn through the skin. |
| compound interest |
interest earned or paid on both the original principal and the accrued unpaid interest. (Cf. simple interest.) |
| compound leaf |
a leaf composed of two or more leaflets on a single stalk. |
| compound microscope |
a microscope in which two lenses of differing focal lengths are mounted in an adjustable tube. |
| compound number |
a quantity expressed in two different but related units of measure, as dollars and cents or pounds and ounces. |
| compound sentence |
a sentence composed of two or more independent clauses, which are usu. linked by a conjunction, such as "The sky darkened and the wind howled". |
| comprehend |
to understand or grasp the meaning of. [3 definitions] |
| comprehensible |
understandable; intelligible. |
| comprehension |
the act, process, or product of comprehending; understanding. [3 definitions] |
| comprehensive |
wide or all-inclusive in range or scope. [3 definitions] |
| compress |
to press into less space, or condense as though pressing together. [4 definitions] |
| compressed |
pressed or squeezed together. [2 definitions] |
| compressed air |
air subjected to greater pressure than the surrounding atmosphere, esp. by mechanical means. |
| compression |
the act or process of pressing down on or together, causing flattening or condensing. [3 definitions] |
| compression ratio |
in an internal-combustion engine, the ratio of the largest to the smallest volume of a cylinder measured at the top and bottom of the piston stroke. |