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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 (gcide)

Composition \Com`po*si"tion\, n. [F. composition, fr. L.
compositio. See {Composite}.]
1. The act or art of composing, or forming a whole or
integral, by placing together and uniting different
things, parts, or ingredients. In specific uses:
(a) The invention or combination of the parts of any
literary work or discourse, or of a work of art; as,
the composition of a poem or a piece of music. "The
constant habit of elaborate composition." --Macaulay.
(b) (Fine Arts) The art or practice of so combining the
different parts of a work of art as to produce a
harmonious whole; also, a work of art considered as
such. See 4, below.
(c) The act of writing for practice in a language, as
English, Latin, German, etc.
(d) (Print.) The setting up of type and arranging it for
printing.
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2. The state of being put together or composed; conjunction;
combination; adjustment.
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View them in composition with other things. --I.
Watts.
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The elementary composition of bodies. --Whewell.
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3. A mass or body formed by combining two or more substances;
as, a chemical composition.
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A composition that looks . . . like marble.
--Addison.
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4. A literary, musical, or artistic production, especially
one showing study and care in arrangement; -- often used
of an elementary essay or translation done as an
educational exercise.
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5. Consistency; accord; congruity. [Obs.]
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There is no composition in these news
That gives them credit. --Shak.
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6. Mutual agreement to terms or conditions for the settlement
of a difference or controversy; also, the terms or
conditions of settlement; agreement.
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Thus we are agreed:
I crave our composition may be written. --Shak.
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7. (Law) The adjustment of a debt, or avoidance of an
obligation, by some form of compensation agreed on between
the parties; also, the sum or amount of compensation
agreed upon in the adjustment.
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Compositions for not taking the order of knighthood.
--Hallam.
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Cleared by composition with their creditors.
--Blackstone.
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8. Synthesis as opposed to analysis.
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The investigation of difficult things by the method
of analysis ought ever to precede the method of
composition. --Sir I.
Newton.
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{Composition cloth}, a kind of cloth covered with a
preparation making it waterproof.

{Composition deed}, an agreement for composition between a
debtor and several creditors.

{Composition plane} (Crystallog.), the plane by which the two
individuals of a twin crystal are united in their reserved
positions.

{Composition of forces} (Mech.), the finding of a single
force (called the resultant) which shall be equal in
effect to two or more given forces (called the components)
when acting in given directions. --Herbert.

{Composition metal}, an alloy resembling brass, which is
sometimes used instead of copper for sheathing vessels; --
also called {Muntz metal} and {yellow metal}.

{Composition of proportion} (Math.), an arrangement of four
proportionals so that the sum of the first and second is
to the second as the sum of the third and fourth to the
fourth.
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