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composition

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

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English Wikipedia has an article on:
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Etymology

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From Middle English composicioun, borrowed from Old French composicion, from Latin compositiō, compositiōnem.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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composition (countable and uncountable, plural compositions)

  1. The act of putting together; assembly.
  2. A mixture or compound; the result of composing. [from 16th c.]
    • c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii], page 291, column 2:
      Ste. What do'st thou know me for?
      Kent. A Knave, a Rascall, [...] one that would'st be a Baud in way of good service, and art nothing but the composition of a Kave, Begger, Coward, Pandar, and the Sonne and Heire of a Mungrill Bitch, one whom I will beate in to clamours whining, if thou deny'st the least sillable of thy addition.
    • 1786, “Of Allhallow Eve, Named by the Irish Oidhche Shamhna”, in Charles Vallancey, editor, Collectanea de Rebus Hibernicis, volume III, Dublin: Luke White, pages 444-445:
      The firſt day of November was dedicated to the angel preſiding over fruits, ſeeds, &c. and was therefore named la mas ubhal, that is, the day of the apple fruit, and being pronounced lamasool, the English have corrupted the name to lambswool, a name they give to a compoſition made on this eve of roaſted apples, ſugar, and ale.
  3. The proportion of different parts to make a whole. [from 14th c.]
  4. The general makeup of a thing or person. [from 14th c.]
    • 1595 December 9 (first known performance), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Richard the Second”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene 1]:
      John of Gaunt. O how that name befits my composition!
      Old Gaunt indeed, and gaunt in being old:
      Within me grief hath kept a tedious fast;
      And who abstains from meat that is not gaunt?
    • 1932, Frank Richards, The Magnet - Bunter's Night Out:
      It seemed that the milk of human kindness had not been left out of his composition.
    • 1982 December 4, Sharon Page, “R2N2 Conference: Revitalizing the Movement”, in Gay Community News, volume 10, number 20, page 3:
      Discussion acknowledged the Network's difficulty in transforming its mostly white composition into a more multi-racial organization.
  5. (chess) A puzzle created by the composer using chess pieces on a chessboard, which presents the solver with a particular task.
  6. (obsolete) An agreement or treaty used to settle differences; later especially, an agreement to stop hostilities; a truce. [14th–19th c.]
    • 1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 40, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book I, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC:
      It will stoope and yeeld upon better compositions to him that shall make head against it.
    • c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Measure for Measure”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii], lines 1-3:
      If the Duke, with the other dukes, come not to composition with the king of Hungary, why then all the dukes fall upon the king.
    • c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:
      That now
      Sweno, the Norways’ king, craves composition:
      Nor would we deign him burial of his men
      Till he disbursed at Saint Colme’s inch
      Ten thousand dollars to our general use.
    • 1630, John Smith, True travels, Kupperman, published 1988, page 50:
      with an incredible courage they advanced to the push of the Pike with the defendants, that with the like courage repulsed […], that the Turks retired and fled into the Castle, from whence by a flag of truce they desired composition.
    • 1754, David Hume, The History of England‎[1], volume I, London: T. Cadell, published 1773, page 8:
      […] the Britons, by rendering the war thus bloody, seemed determined to cut off all hopes of peace or composition with the enemy.
  7. (obsolete) A payment of money in order to clear a liability or obligation; a settling or fine. [16th–19th c.]
    1. (Singapore, law) A payment of fine in order to settle a (usually minor) criminal charge.
  8. (law) an agreement or compromise by which a creditor or group of creditors accepts partial payment from a debtor.
  10. An essay. [from 16th c.]
  11. (linguistics) The formation of compound words from separate words. [from 16th c.]
  12. A work of music, literature or art. [from 17th c.]
    • 1818, Jane Austen, A letter dated 8 September 1818:
      […] and how good Mrs. West could have written such books and collected so many hard words, with all her family cares, is still more a matter of astonishment. Composition seems to me impossible with a head full of joints of mutton and doses of rhubarb.
  14. (printing) Typesetting. [from 19th c.]
  15. (mathematics) Applying a function to the result of another.
  16. (physics) The compounding of two velocities or forces into a single equivalent velocity or force.
  17. (obsolete) Consistency; accord; congruity.
  18. Synthesis as opposed to analysis.
  19. (painting, photography) The arrangement and flow of elements in a picture.
  20. (object-oriented programming) Way to combine simple objects or data types into more complex ones.
  21. (video games) The characters, roles, weapons, etc. being used by a team.
    team composition
    weapon composition

Synonyms

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Derived terms

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Descendants

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  • → Korean: 컴포지션 (keompojisyeon)[1]

Translations

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References

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  1. ^ NAVER Korean Dictionary

Anagrams

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French

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Etymology

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Inherited from Old French composicion, borrowed from Latin compositiōnem.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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composition f (plural compositions)

  1. composition, makeup
  2. essay
    Synonyms: essai, dissertation, rédaction
  3. composition, work of art
    Synonym: œuvre
  4. (linguistics) composition, compounding, formation of compound words
  5. (printing) composition, typesetting
  6. (sports) lineup
  7. (object-oriented programming) composition
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Descendants

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Further reading

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Middle French

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Etymology

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From Old French composicion.

Noun

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composition f (plural compositions)

  1. agreement; accord; pact

Descendants

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