decompose
/ˌdiːkəmˈpəʊz/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌdiːkəmˈpəʊz/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌdē-kəm-ˈpōz/ (ame, mw)
decompose — verb
- decomposepresent simple I / you / we / they
- decomposeshe / she / it
- decomposedpast simple
- decomposing-ing form
1. When a dead plant, animal, or other organic material gradually breaks down and r
When a dead plant, animal, or other organic material gradually breaks down and returns to simpler natural substances, helped by bacteria, fungi, or insects.
After the storm, the fallen fruit began to decompose in the hot sun.
pattern: [subject] begin to decompose + [time/place]
Fungi and bacteria quickly decompose dead leaves on the damp forest floor.
pattern: [agent] decompose [organic matter]
The old wooden fence behind Mei-Ling's house had started to decompose after years of rain.
If you bury vegetable scraps in your garden, they will decompose naturally over a few months.
The deer carcass decomposed slowly through the cold winter and was gone by spring.
- rot
Less formal than decompose; very common in everyday speech about food or wood.
- decay
Very similar in meaning, often used for teeth, wood, or organic matter; slightly more general than decompose.
- break down
Phrasal verb; can replace decompose in most contexts, especially in informal settings.
- preserve
To prevent something from decaying or decomposing.
文法句型
decompose (intransitive) — subject is organic matter
decompose + object (transitive) — agent causes decay
用法筆記
Subject is typically organic matter: plants, animals, food, or wooden objects. In everyday conversation, speakers often prefer 'rot' or 'go bad' for food. 'Decompose' is more common in scientific or formal writing.
常見錯誤
2. To separate a chemical compound, mixture, or physical substance into the simpler
To separate a chemical compound, mixture, or physical substance into the simpler elements or components that make it up, through a natural process or a deliberate action.
Scientists can decompose water into hydrogen and oxygen by passing electricity through it.
pattern: decompose [substance] into [elements]
When the compound was heated above 300 degrees, it decomposed into two colourless gases.
pattern: [substance] decomposes into [simpler parts] (intransitive)
A glass prism decomposes white light into a rainbow of different colours.
Special enzymes in the detergent decompose grease stains into water-soluble particles.
Ultraviolet radiation from the sun gradually decomposes certain plastic polymers.
- break down
A general phrasal verb that covers both natural and chemical separation; common in all registers.
- separate
More general; does not imply a chemical process. 'Separate' can be physical (e.g., separate sand from gravel).
- split
Informal and broader; lacks the scientific precision of decompose.
- combine
To join elements or compounds together into a single substance.
- synthesise
To build a compound from simpler parts, the opposite of decomposition.
文法句型
decompose [substance] into [simpler parts]
[substance] decomposes into [simpler parts]
用法筆記
Object is typically a chemical compound, mixture, or substance. Frequently followed by 'into' to state what is produced. This sense is less common in everyday speech and appears mostly in science writing.