compound
Definitions
General English
Accounting
Aviation
- adjective referring to something made up of two or more parts or substances
Electronics
- Consisting of two or more components.
Food
- noun a chemical substance made up of two or more components
- verb to make something by combining parts
Military
- noun a secure area enclosed by a fence
Real Estate
- verb to calculate or pay interest based on both the principal and the previously accrued interest
Origin & History of “compound”
there are two distinct words compound in English. The one meaning ‘combine’ (14th c.) comes ultimately from Latin compōnere ‘put together’. Old French took two verbs from this: the perfect stem compos- produced composer (whence English compose) while the infinitive became compondre, source of English compound. Its original middle English form was compoune; the final d came from the adjectival use of the past participle compouned. Compound ‘enclosure’ (17th c.) is of Eastern origin: it comes from Malay kampong ‘group of buildings, village’, and was borrowed via Portuguese campon or Dutch campoeng. The English form was no doubt remodelled on the basis of compound ‘combine’.
