Compound
/ˈkɒm.paʊnd/noun
A thing made by combining two or more parts, elements, or ingredients; also, to make something worse by adding to it.
Did you know?English got the word through Old French from Latin componere, a verb used for arranging, composing, and even settling disputes — the same root family that gave us some of the most powerful “making” words in English.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*peh₂-
“to put, place”
Latin
Latin
componere
“to put together, arrange, compose”
Late Latin
Latin
compositus
“put together; arranged; made up”
Old French
Old French
compondre
“to compound; to combine”
Middle English
English
compound
“to combine; a mixture; something made of parts”
Modern English
English
compound
“a thing formed by combining elements; to intensify or worsen”