compound

compound
   "News of a crop failure in the northern part of the country will only compound the government's economic and political problems" (Times). Several authorities have deplored the use of compound in the sense of worsen, as it is employed above and increasingly elsewhere. They are right to point out that the usage springs from a misinterpretation of the word s original and more narrow meanings, though that in itself is insufficient cause to avoid it. Many other words have arrived at their present meanings through misinterpretation (see, for instance, internecine).
   A more pertinent consideration is whether we need compound in its looser sense. The answer must be no. In the example above, the writer might have used instead multiply, aggravate, heighten, worsen, exacerbate, add to, intensify, or any of a dozen other words. We should also remember that compound is already a busy word. Dictionaries list up to nine distinct meanings for it as a verb, seven as a noun, and nine as an adjective. In some of these, the words meanings are narrow. In legal parlance, for instance, compound has the very specific meaning "to forgo prosecution in return for payment or some other consideration" (it is from this that we get the widely misunderstood phrase "to compound a felony," which has nothing to do with aggravation). To use compound to mean worsen in such a context is bound to be misleading.
   All that said, most dictionaries recognize the newer meaning, so it cannot be called incorrect, but you should be aware that some more conservative users of English may object to it, and with some grounds.

Dictionary of troublesome word. . 2013.

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  • compound — [ kɔ̃pund ] adj. inv. et n. • 1874; mot angl. « composé » ♦ Anglic. Machine compound, ou n. f. une compound : machine à vapeur à plusieurs cylindres dans lesquels la vapeur agit alternativement. Électrotechn. Excitation compound : excitation d… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Compound — Com pound, a. [OE. compouned, p. p. of compounen. See {Compound}, v. t.] Composed of two or more elements, ingredients, parts; produced by the union of several ingredients, parts, or things; composite; as, a compound word. [1913 Webster] Compound …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Compound — may refer to: Chemical compounds, combinations of two or more elements Compound (enclosure), a cluster of buildings having a shared purpose, usually inside a fence or wall Compound (fortification), a version of the above fortified with defensive… …   Wikipedia

  • Compound — Com pound, n. 1. That which is compounded or formed by the union or mixture of elements ingredients, or parts; a combination of simples; a compound word; the result of composition. Shak. [1913 Webster] Rare compound of oddity, frolic, and fun.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • compound — com·pound /kəm pau̇nd/ vt 1: to agree for a consideration not to prosecute (an offense) ◇ Compounding a felony is a common law crime. 2: to pay (interest) on both the accrued interest and the principal Merriam Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam …   Law dictionary

  • compound — compound1 [käm pound′, käm′pound΄; kəm pound′; ] for adj.usually & for n.always [, käm′pound΄] vt. [ME compounen < OFr compon(d)re, to arrange, direct < L componere, to put together: see COMPOSITE] 1. to mix or combine 2. to make by… …   English World dictionary

  • Compound — Com*pound (k[o^]m*pound ), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Compounded}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Compounding}.] [OE. componen, compounen, L. componere, compositum; com + ponere to put set. The d is excrescent. See {Position}, and cf. {Compon[ e]}.] 1. To form or… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • compound — com‧pound [kəmˈpaʊnd ǁ kɑːmˈpaʊnd, ˈkɑːmpaʊnd] verb [transitive] FINANCE to pay interest on both a sum of money and the interest already earned on it: • My bank compounds interest quarterly. * * * Ⅰ. compound UK US /ˈkɒmpaʊnd/ adjective FINANCE ► …   Financial and business terms

  • compound — s.n. 1. Mod de grupare a două mecanisme, maşini etc. pentru a asigura funcţionarea lor asociată. 2. Masă electroizolantă constituită dintr un amestec de materiale electroizolante organice. [pr.: páund] – cuv. engl. Trimis de LauraGellner,… …   Dicționar Român

  • Compound — Com*pound , v. i. To effect a composition; to come to terms of agreement; to agree; to settle by a compromise; usually followed by with before the person participating, and for before the thing compounded or the consideration. [1913 Webster] Here …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Compound 48/80 — is a polymer produced by the condensation of N methyl p methoxyphenethylamine with formaldehyde.[1] It promotes histamine release.[2] In biochemical research, compound 48/80 is used to promote mast cell degranulation. References ^ …   Wikipedia

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