compose
Definitions
To make up or form a whole
组成，构成
To write or create music, text, or art
创作，谱写
To make oneself calm (compose oneself)
使（自己）平静下来
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedcom- (together) + pose (place) = 'to place together.' Put parts together and you form a whole (composed of three parts), create something by arranging them (compose a song), or, turned inward, gather your scattered feelings back into order (compose yourself).
Root pos still carries 66 more wordsWhy It Means This
Compose shows how one literal act spawns a cluster of meanings. The base image is laying parts side by side into a whole. From there: 'be made up of' (a mixture composed of metals), 'create by arranging' (compose music, a letter), and the reflexive 'compose yourself' — where the parts being arranged are your own scattered emotions, gathered back into calm order. 'Be composed of' is almost always passive, while 'compose music' is active.
Common Collocations
- 1.compose oneself调整自己的情绪
Example Sentences
- 1.
Water is composed of hydrogen and oxygen.
- 2.
She composed the score for the entire film.
- 3.
Take a deep breath and compose yourself before you speak.
Easily Confused
compose vs comprise vs consist: 'X is composed of parts' and 'X consists of parts' (parts make up the whole). 'X comprises parts' means the same, but takes no 'of': avoid 'comprised of' in careful writing. Rule of thumb: the whole comprises the parts; the whole is composed of the parts.