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Compound

KOM-pownd (noun), kuhm-POWND (verb) /ˈkɒmpaʊnd/ (noun), /kəmˈpaʊnd/ (verb)

nounverbB2SATGRE

formalscientific

(noun) A substance formed when two or more chemical elements are chemically bonded together. (verb) To make something worse; to combine or mix.

As a noun, it's a specific chemical term. As a verb, it often implies making a problem more severe, or combining things in a general sense.

The story behind the word. The word 'compound' comes from the Latin verb 'componere,' meaning 'to put together,' from 'com-' (together) and 'ponere' (to place). This origin perfectly captures its chemical meaning: elements are 'put together' to form a new substance. The sense of 'making worse' or 'aggravating' also stems from this idea of adding things together, often implying adding to a problem.

Word relationships

mixture: A mixture's components retain their properties; a compound's components are chemically bonded and lose their original properties.
blend: Similar to mixture, implies physical combination rather than chemical bonding.
aggravate: (verb) To make a problem worse, similar to compound's negative verb sense.

element: An element is a pure substance of one type of atom; a compound is formed from multiple elements.
simplify: (verb) To make less complex, opposite of compounding a problem.

Commonly confused with

Mixture: In a compound, elements are chemically bonded and lose their individual properties. In a mixture, substances are physically combined and retain their properties.

Word family

compounded (adjective): Made up of several parts; made worse.
compounding (noun): The act of combining; the process of making something worse.

Collocations

chemical compound
organic compound
compound interest
compound fracture

Idioms & expressions

compound a felony

Example sentences

"Water (H2O) is a chemical compound, not a mixture of hydrogen and oxygen gases." As a chemical substance.
"His late arrival only served to compound the team's existing problems." As a verb, meaning to make worse.
"The chemist needed to compound several ingredients to create the new solution." As a verb, meaning to combine.

Memory hook

Think of a 'COM-POUND' as 'COM-bining' elements to form a new 'POUND' (like a new entity). COM-POUND: COM-bine and form a new 'pound'

When not to use

Do not use 'compound' as a noun to mean a simple mixture where elements retain their individual properties.

Fun facts

There are millions of known chemical compounds, far outnumbering the elements.
The properties of a compound are often vastly different from the properties of the elements it is made from.