Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of 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. 2. The state of being put together or composed; conjunction; combination; adjustment. View them in composition with other things. --I. Watts. The elementary composition of bodies. --Whewell. 3. A mass or body formed by combining two or more substances; as, a chemical composition. A composition that looks . . . like marble. --Addison. 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. 5. Consistency; accord; congruity. [Obs.] There is no composition in these news That gives them credit. --Shak. 6. Mutual agreement to terms or conditions for the settlement of a difference or controversy; also, the terms or conditions of settlement; agreement. Thus we are agreed: I crave our composition may be written. --Shak. 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. Compositions for not taking the order of knighthood. --Hallam. Cleared by composition with their creditors. --Blackstone. 8. Synthesis as opposed to analysis. The investigation of difficult things by the method of analysis ought ever to precede the method of composition. --Sir I. Newton. {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.