Meaning & use
compound
A substance formed when two or more chemical elements are combined in fixed proportions.
See it in a sentence
Water is a compound made of two hydrogen atoms bonded to one oxygen atom.
Chemists identified a new compound that could help treat the resistant infection.
A note on using this word
Compound also names a walled or fenced area containing a group of buildings, such as 'a diplomatic compound'.
Words with a similar meaning
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Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
Another way to use it
2. verb
To make a problem or difficulty worse by adding another factor to it.
Heavy traffic compounded the delay caused by the earlier accident.
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