decomposition — English Dictionary

Noun

1. A biological process through which organic material is reduced to e.g. compost.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Examples

   More examples (1)

   Before tearing up the property with machinery, the police conducted a screening at the site with specialised cadaver dogs. The dogs gave positive indications in specific areas of the property, indicating the scent of human decomposition.

2. The act of taking something apart, e.g. for analysis.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Examples

   Speech decomposition into a periodic and a non-periodic part is a subject of considerable importance with applications in speech synthesis, […]

3. The splitting (of e.g. a matrix, an atom, or a compound) into constituent parts.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

Noun

1. the analysis of a vector field

   Synonyms

   vector decomposition

   Broader terms

   vector algebra

2. in a decomposed state

   Synonyms

   disintegration

   Broader terms

   decay

3. (chemistry) separation of a substance into two or more substances that may differ from each other and from the original substance

   Synonyms

   decomposition reactionchemical decomposition reactionbreakdown

   Broader terms

   chemical reactionreaction

4. (biology) the process of decay caused by bacterial or fungal action

   Synonyms

   rotrottingputrefactionbreakdown

   Broader terms

   decay

5. the organic phenomenon of rotting

   Synonyms

   decay

   Broader terms

   organic phenomenon