What does "decompose" mean?

To separate or break down (something) into its components.

What is a synonym for "decompose"?

Common synonyms include: decay, rot, ablate, academic writing term, analyses, analyze.

Pronounced //ˌdiːkəmˈpəʊz//.

/ˌdiːkəmˈpəʊz/ verb

verb ·Common ·High school level

Verb

1
To separate or break down (something) into its components. transitive
"Various fungi can decompose wood."
2
separate (substances) into constituent elements or parts wordnet
3
To rot, decay or putrefy. intransitive
"Plastics can take centuries to decompose."
4
break down wordnet
5
lose a stored charge, magnetic flux, or current wordnet

"Rocks take time to decompose, especially quartz and feldspar."

Borrowed from Middle French décomposer. Equivalent to de- + compose.