decompose
/ˌdiːkəmˈpəʊz/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌdiːkəmˈpəʊz/ (ame, ipa) · /ˌdē-kəm-ˈpōz/ (ame, mw)
decompose — 動詞
- 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
腐爛
有機物自然分解腐敗
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.
暴風雨過後，掉落的水果在烈日下開始腐爛。
pattern: [subject] begin to decompose + [time/place]
Fungi and bacteria quickly decompose dead leaves on the damp forest floor.
潮濕的森林地面上，真菌和細菌迅速分解落葉。
pattern: [agent] decompose [organic matter]
The old wooden fence behind Mei-Ling's house had started to decompose after years of rain.
Mei-Ling 家後面的舊木柵欄經過多年雨淋後已開始腐爛。
If you bury vegetable scraps in your garden, they will decompose naturally over a few months.
如果把菜葉埋進花園的土裡，幾個月後它們就會自然腐爛。
The deer carcass decomposed slowly through the cold winter and was gone by spring.
那頭鹿的屍體在寒冷的冬天裡慢慢腐爛，到春天時就完全不見了。
- 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
分解
將物質拆分為更簡單成分
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.
科學家可以透過通電將水分解成氫氣和氧氣。
pattern: decompose [substance] into [elements]
When the compound was heated above 300 degrees, it decomposed into two colourless gases.
該化合物加熱到攝氏三百度以上時，分解成兩種無色氣體。
pattern: [substance] decomposes into [simpler parts] (intransitive)
A glass prism decomposes white light into a rainbow of different colours.
玻璃稜鏡可將白光分解成一道彩虹般的多種顏色。
Special enzymes in the detergent decompose grease stains into water-soluble particles.
洗衣粉中的特殊酵素能將油漬分解成可溶於水的微小粒子。
Ultraviolet radiation from the sun gradually decomposes certain plastic polymers.
來自太陽的紫外線會逐漸分解某些塑膠聚合物。
- 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.