Hypertext Webster Gateway: "decomposition"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Decomposition \De*com`po*si"tion\, n. [Pref. de- (in sense 3
intensive) + composition: cf. F. d['e]composition. Cf.
{Decomposition}.]
1. The act or process of resolving the constituent parts of a
compound body or substance into its elementary parts;
separation into constituent part; analysis; the decay or
dissolution consequent on the removal or alteration of
some of the ingredients of a compound; disintegration; as,
the decomposition of wood, rocks, etc.
2. The state of being reduced into original elements.
3. Repeated composition; a combination of compounds. [Obs.]
{Decomposition of forces}. Same as {Resolution of forces},
under {Resolution}.
{Decomposition of light}, the division of light into the
prismatic colors.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
decomposition
n 1: the analysis of a vector field [syn: {vector decomposition}]
2: in a decomposed state [syn: {disintegration}]
3: (chemistry) chemical separation of a substance into two or
more substances that may differ from each other and from
the original substance [syn: {decomposition reaction}]
4: the organic phenomenon of rotting [syn: {decay}]
5: (biology) decaying caused by bacterial or fungal action
[syn: {rot}, {rotting}, {putrefaction}]
Additional Hypertext Webster Gateway Lookup
Gateway by dict@stokkie.net
stock only wrote the gateway and does not have any control over the contents;
see the Webster Gateway FAQ,
and also the Back-end/database links and credits.