decompose

verb
de·com·pose
dē"kəm-pōzʹ

To separate or break down (something) into its components.

Other meanings

To rot, decay or putrefy.
“Plastics can take centuries to decompose.”

Synonyms

break up
break down

Related words

nondecomposed
semidecomposed
undecomposed
decomposability
decomposable
eigendecompose
decomposer
photodecompose
decomposition

Example sentences

“Didn't you know that bodies decompose?”
Tatoeba · ddnktr · CC0

Word history

From Middle French "décomposer".

Where this comes from

This definition is adapted from “decompose” on Wiktionary, by its contributors; example sentences are from Tatoeba, credited to their authors above; related-word lists use Open English WordNet (CC BY 4.0, based on Princeton WordNet), published under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page is published under the same licence.