to decay or rot naturally, especially as a result of bacterial or fungal action on organic matter.
Dead leaves decompose quickly on the forest floor.
The fish started to decompose after being left in the sun.
✦ Mid 18th century: from French décomposer, from dé- ‘down’ (from Latin de-) + composer ‘to compose’ (from Latin componere ‘put together’).
to separate or break down something into its basic parts or elements.
Chemists decompose water into hydrogen and oxygen.
The teacher asked us to decompose the number 12 into prime factors.
to break down naturally into simpler chemical substances, as dead plants or animals do through the action of bacteria and fungi
Dead leaves decomposes on the forest floor, turning into rich soil.
The fish in the pond decomposes after dying, feeding the water plants.
✦ From French décomposer, from Late Latin decompositus past participle of decomponere (“to take apart”), de- + componere.
to separate or break something down into its basic parts or elements
The scientist decomposes the chemical compound to study its atoms.
She decomposes the complex problem into simple steps.
