decompose

verb

/ˌdiːkəmˈpəʊz/

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they decompose	/ˌdiːkəmˈpəʊz/ /ˌdiːkəmˈpəʊz/
he / she / it decomposes	/ˌdiːkəmˈpəʊzɪz/ /ˌdiːkəmˈpəʊzɪz/
past simple decomposed	/ˌdiːkəmˈpəʊzd/ /ˌdiːkəmˈpəʊzd/
past participle decomposed	/ˌdiːkəmˈpəʊzd/ /ˌdiːkəmˈpəʊzd/
-ing form decomposing	/ˌdiːkəmˈpəʊzɪŋ/ /ˌdiːkəmˈpəʊzɪŋ/

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[intransitive, transitive] to be destroyed gradually after death by natural processes腐烂 synonym decay, rot
- a decomposing corpse正在腐烂的尸体
- The garden was dank with decomposing vegetation.花园因植物腐烂而变得潮湿。
- decompose something a decomposed body已经腐烂了的尸体
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
phrases
- badly decomposed
- partially decomposed
- partly decomposed
- …
See full entry
[intransitive, transitive] decompose (something) (into something) (chemistry化学) (of a chemical compound) to break down something into smaller and simpler parts; to break a substance down into smaller and simpler parts（使）分解
- Water decomposes into oxygen and hydrogen.水分解成氧气和氢气。
- As the waste materials decompose, they produce methane gas.废物腐烂时会产生沼气。

Word Originmid 18th cent. (in the sense ‘separate into simpler constituents’): from French décomposer, from de- (expressing reversal) + composer.