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# decomposition

«decomposition» in Mova's school dictionary: **The natural breaking down of dead plants and animals into…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 1 sentence of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

noun (decomposition, uncountable)

### meaning for a pupil

1) (science) The natural breaking down of dead plants and animals into simpler things, by bacteria, fungi and worms; rotting. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/decomposition/#m1)

2) (maths) Breaking a number or shape into smaller parts (partitioning). [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/decomposition/#m2)

3) (science) The breaking of a substance into simpler substances by a chemical reaction. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/decomposition/#m3)

### sense in the lessons

In science: decomposition returns nutrients to the soil; decomposers such as fungi do it; compost heaps. In maths: number decomposition, like 47 = 40 + 7, or breaking a shape into rectangles to find area. In chemistry: thermal decomposition.

### examples

- Fallen leaves turn into soil by decomposition. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/decomposition/#x1)
- Worms and fungi help decomposition. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/decomposition/#x2)
- Decomposition is faster when it is warm and damp. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/decomposition/#x3)
- Use decomposition: 36 = 30 + 6. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/decomposition/#x4)
- We used decomposition to find the area of the L-shape. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/decomposition/#x5)
- Heating some rocks causes thermal decomposition. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/decomposition/#x6)

### note

Verb: decompose; decomposer is a living thing that breaks down dead matter. In maths, decomposition does not change the total: the parts add back to the whole. «Decomposition» in subtraction (UK) also means exchanging a ten for ten ones.

### In the corpora

- [Worms, fungi and bacteria break down dead plants and animals into soil; this is called decomposition.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/religion-ethics/53-why-living-things-die-and-the-circle-of-life/8/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «decomposition» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/decomposition/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.