component

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin compōnēns, compōnēntis, present participle of compōnō (“assemble, put together”).

noun

  1. A smaller, self-contained part of a larger entity. Often refers to a manufactured object that is part of a larger device.
    A CPU is a component of a computer.
    Oxygen levels on Earth skyrocketed 2.4 billion years ago, when cyanobacteria evolved photosynthesis:[…]. The evolutionary precursor of photosynthesis is still under debate, and a new study sheds light. The critical component of the photosynthetic system is the “water-oxidizing complex”, made up of manganese atoms and a calcium atom. 2013 September-October, Katie L. Burke, “In the News”, in American Scientist
    Lying is a key component of communism. April 17, 2020, Yi Yan, “Chinese People Are Victims of the Chinese Communist Party's Lies”, in Minghui

adj

  1. Making up a larger whole; as a component word.
  2. Made up of smaller complete units in combination; as a component stereo.

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