Com*pos"ite (?; 277), n.
That which is made up of parts or compounded of several elements; composition; combination; compound. [R.]
Com*pos"ite (?; 277), a.
[L. compositus made up of parts, p. p. of componere. See Compound, v. t., and cf. Compost.]
1. Made up
of distinct parts or elements; compounded; as, a composite language.
Happiness, like air and water
. . . is composite.
Landor.
2. (Arch.) Belonging to a certain order which is composed of the Ionic
order grafted upon the Corinthian. It is called also the Roman or the Italic order, and is
one of the five orders recognized by the Italian writers of the sixteenth century. See Capital.
3. (Bot.) Belonging to the order
Compositæ; bearing involucrate
heads of many small florets, as the daisy, thistle, and dandelion.
Composite carriage,
a railroad car having compartments of different classes.
[Eng.] -- Composite number (Math.),
one which can be divided exactly by a number exceeding unity, as 6 by 2 or
3.. -- Composite photograph or portrait, one made by a combination, or blending, of several distinct
photographs. F. Galton. -- Composite sailing
(Naut.), a combination of parallel and great circle sailing. -- Composite ship, one with a wooden casing and iron frame.
Hear it pronounced