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Makeup vs Compose - What's the difference?

makeup | compose |

As a noun makeup

is an item's composition.

As a verb compose is

to make something by merging parts.

makeup

English

Alternative forms

*

Noun

(en-noun)
  • (uncountable) An item's composition.
  • To understand how a nuclear reactor works, we must first look at its makeup .
  • (uncountable) Cosmetics; colorants and other substances applied to the skin to improve its appearance.
  • She is wearing a lot of makeup .
  • (Industry) Replacement; material used to make up for the amount that has been used up.
  • * 2005 , William C. Whitman, William M. Johnson, John A. Tomczyk, Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Technology , page 1208:
  • When the water level drops, the float ball drops with it and opens the valve to the makeup water supply.

    Usage notes

    The alternative spelling make-up is favored by the Oxford Dictionary, and thus is often considered to be British, while makeup, being preferred by Merriam Webster's dictionary, is the generally accepted American spelling. In reference with Jean-Claude Corbeil/Ariane Archambault: Visual Dictionary, Look up a Word from a Picture, Find the Picture from a Word. (New York, USA / Oxford, UK, 1987)

    Hyponyms

    * See also

    References

    compose

    English

    (Composition)

    Verb

    (compos)
  • To make something by merging parts.
  • The editor composed a historical journal from many individual letters.
    Try to compose your thoughts.
  • * Bishop Sprat
  • Zeal ought to be composed of the highest degrees of all pious affection.
  • To make up the whole; to constitute.
  • A church is composed of its members.
  • * I. Watts
  • A few useful things compose their intellectual possessions.
  • (nonstandard) To comprise.
  • (transitive, or, intransitive) To construct by mental labor; to think up; particularly, to produce or create a literary or musical work.
  • The orator composed his speech over the week prior.
    Nine numbered symphonies, including the Fifth, were composed by Beethoven.
    It's difficult to compose without absolute silence.
  • * Alexander Pope
  • Let me compose / Something in verse as well as prose.
  • * B. R. Haydon
  • the genius that composed such works as the "Standard" and "Last Supper"
  • (sometimes, reflexive) To calm; to free from agitation.
  • The defendant couldn't compose herself and was found in contempt.
  • * Dryden
  • Compose thy mind; / Nor frauds are here contrived, nor force designed.
  • To arrange the elements of a photograph or other picture.
  • To settle (an argument, dispute etc.); to come to a settlement.
  • * 2010 , (Christopher Hitchens), Hitch-22 , Atlantic 2011, p. 280:
  • By trying his best to compose matters with the mullahs, he had sincerely shown that he did not seek a violent collision
  • To arrange in proper form; to reduce to order; to put in proper state or condition.
  • * Dryden
  • In a peaceful grave my corpse compose .
  • * Milton
  • How in safety best we may / Compose our present evils.
  • (printing, dated) To arrange (types) in a composing stick for printing; to typeset.
  • Derived terms

    * composer * composite * composing stick * composition * compositor * composure * decompose