compact

• POS: Adjective, Noun, Verb (usu participle), Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: com=pact

CIDE DICTIONARY

compact, p. p. & a. [L. compactus, p. p. of compingere to join or unite; com- + pangere to fasten, fix: cf. F. compacte. See Pact.].

•  Joined or held together; leagued; confederated.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]

  "A pipe of seven reeds, compact with wax together."  [1913 Webster]
•  Composed or made; -- with of.  [1913 Webster]

  "A wandering fire,
  Compact of unctuous vapor."  [1913 Webster]
•  Closely or firmly united, as the particles of solid bodies; firm; close; solid; dense.  [1913 Webster]

  "Glass, crystal, gems, and other compact bodies."  [1913 Webster]
•  Brief; close; pithy; not diffuse; not verbose; as, a compact discourse.

Syn. -- Firm; close; solid; dense; pithy; sententious.

compact, v. t. 

•  To thrust, drive, or press closely together; to join firmly; to consolidate; to make close; -- as the parts which compose a body.  [1913 Webster]

  "Now the bright sun compacts the precious stone."  [1913 Webster]
•  To unite or connect firmly, as in a system.  [1913 Webster]

  "The whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth."  [1913 Webster]

compact, n. [L. compactum, fr. compacisci, p. p. compactus, to make an agreement with; com- + pacisci to make an agreement. See Pact.].

 An agreement between parties; a covenant or contract.  [1913 Webster]
"The law of nations depends on mutual compacts, treaties, leagues, etc."  [1913 Webster]
"Wedlock is described as the indissoluble compact."  [1913 Webster]
"The federal constitution has been styled a compact between the States by which it was ratified."

Syn. -- See Covenant.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

compact, adj., v., & n.
--adj.
1 closely or neatly packed together.
2 (of a piece of equipment, a room, etc.) well-fitted and practical though small.
3 (of style etc.) condensed; brief.
4 (esp. of the human body) small but well-proportioned.
5 (foll. by of) composed or made up of.
--v.tr.
1 join or press firmly together.
2 condense.
3 (usu. foll. by of) compose; make up.
--n.
1 a small, flat, usu. decorated, case for face-powder, a mirror, etc.
2 an object formed by compacting powder.
3 US a medium-sized motor car.

Idiom

compact disc a disc on which information or sound is recorded digitally and reproduced by reflection of laser light.

Derivative

compaction n. compactly adv. compactness n. compactor n.

compact, n. an agreement or contract between two or more parties.

Etymology

L compactum f. compacisci compact- (as COM-, pacisci covenant): cf. PACT

THESAURUS

compact

Spartan, abbreviate, abbreviated, abridged, agree, agree to, agreement, airtight, ammunition box, aphoristic, aposiopestic, ark, attache case, baby, baby-sized, bandolier, bantam, banty, bargain, bargain for, base, billfold, bin, bond, boot, box, brief, briefcase, bristling, brusque, bunched, bunker, caisson, canister, capsula, capsule, cardcase, carton, casket, cedar chest, chest, cigarette case, circumscribe, cist, clamped, clipped, close, close-knit, close-textured, close-woven, clown white, coarct, coffer, coffin, coincident, cold cream, combine, compact, compacted, compendious, comprehensive, compress, compressed, concentrate, concentrated, concise, concrete, concurrent, condense, condensed, cone, congest, congested, conjoint, conjugate, conjunct, consolidate, consolidated, consortium, constrict, constricted, constringe, contract, contracted, convention, cordial understanding, corporate, cosmetics, covenant, cram, crammed, crammed full, cramp, cramped, crate, crawling, crib, crisp, crowd, crowded, curt, curtail, curtal, curtate, cut, decrease, decurtate, dense, densen, densify, diminutive, dispatch box, do a deal, docked, draw, draw in, draw together, drugstore complexion, duodecimo, dustproof, dusttight, elliptic, engage, entente, entente cordiale, envelope, epigrammatic, etui, eye shadow, eyebrow pencil, fast, file, file folder, filing box, firm, folio, foundation, foundation cream, full, gasproof, gastight, gluey, gnomic, greasepaint, hand cream, hand lotion, handy, hard, heavy, hermetic, hermetically sealed, holster, hope chest, housewife, hussy, hutch, impenetrable, impermeable, inclusive, instantaneous, integrate, jam, jam-packed, jammed, joined, joint, kit, knit, knitted, laconic, letter file, lightproof, lighttight, lip rouge, lipstick, little, low, make a deal, makeup, mascara, massive, meaty, miniature, miniaturized, minikin, minimal, minuscule, monstrance, mudpack, mutual understanding, nail polish, narrow, nipped, nonporous, oilproof, oiltight, ostensorium, packed, packet, packing case, pact, paint, pillbox, pinched, pinched-in, pithy, pocket, pocket-sized, pod, pointed, pony, populous, portfolio, powder, powder box, powder puff, press, promise, pruned, pucker, pucker up, puckered, puff, purse, pursed, quiver, rack, rainproof, raintight, ram down, reduce, reliquary, reserved, rouge, sarcophagus, scabbard, sealed, sententious, serried, set, sheath, short, short and sweet, shorten, shortened, shut fast, skippet, small, small-scale, smokeproof, smoketight, snuffbox, snug, socket, solid, solidified, solidify, spectacle case, squeeze, squeezed, staunch, stipulate, stormproof, stormtight, strangle, strangled, strangulate, strangulated, subminiature, substantial, succinct, summary, swarming, synopsized, synoptic, taciturn, talcum, talcum powder, tea chest, teeming, terse, thick, thick-growing, thickset, tight, till, tinderbox, to the point, toy, transaction, transient, truncated, twelvemo, understanding, undertake, unite, vanishing cream, vanity case, vasculum, vest-pocket, viscid, viscose, viscous, wallet, war paint, wasp-waisted, water-repellant, waterproof, watertight, windproof, windtight, wrinkle, wrinkled

ROGET THESAURUS

compact

Conciseness

N conciseness, brevity, the soul of wit, laconism, Tacitus, ellipsis, syncope, abridgment, compression, epitome, monostich, brunch word, portmanteau word, concise, brief, short, terse, close, to the point, exact, neat, compact, compressed, condensed, pointed, laconic, curt, pithy, trenchant, summary, pregnant, compendious, succinct, elliptical, epigrammatic, quaint, crisp, sententious, concisely, briefly, summarily, in brief, in short, in a word, in a few words, for shortness sake, to come to the point, to make a long story short, to cut the matter short, to be brief, it comes to this, the long and the short of it is, brevis esse laboro obscurus fio.

Junction

N junction, joining, joinder, union connection, conjunction, conjugation, annexion, annexation, annexment, astriction, attachment, compagination, vincture, ligation, alligation, accouplement, marriage infibulation, inosculation, symphysis, anastomosis, confluence, communication, concatenation, meeting, reunion, assemblage, coition, copulation, sex, sexual congress, sexual conjunction, sexual intercourse, love-making, joint, joining, juncture, pivot, hinge, articulation, commissure, seam, gore, gusset, suture, stitch, link, miter mortise, closeness, tightness coherence, combination, annexationist, joined, joint, conjoint, conjunct, corporate, compact, hand in hand, firm, fast, close, tight, taut, taught, secure, set, intervolved, inseparable, indissoluble, insecable, severable, jointly, in conjunction with, fast, firmly intimately, tria juncta in uno.

Coherence

N coherence, adherence, adhesion, adhesiveness, concretion accretion, conglutination, agglutination, agglomeration, aggregation, consolidation, set, cementation, sticking, soldering, connection, dependence, tenacity, toughness, stickiness, inseparability, inseparableness, bur, remora, conglomerate, concrete, cohesive, adhesive, adhering, cohering, tenacious, tough, sticky, united, unseparated, unsessile, inseparable, inextricable, infrangible, compact.

Undertaking

N undertaking, compact, adventure, venture, engagement, enterprise, emprise, pilgrimage, matter in hand, move, first move, undertaking, on the anvil, Int, here goes!.

Unity

N unity, oneness, individuality, solitude, isolation, unification, one, unit, ace, individual, none else, no other, one, sole, single, solitary, unitary, individual, apart, alone, kithless, unaccompanied, unattended, solus, single-handed, singular, odd, unique, unrepeated, azygous, first and last, isolated, insular, monospermous, unific, uniflorous, unifoliate, unigenital, uniliteral, unijocular, unimodal, unimodular, lone, lonely, lonesome, desolate, dreary, insecable, inseverable, indiscerptible, compact, indivisible, atomic, irresolvable, singly, alone, by itself, per se, only, apart, in the singular number, in the abstract, one by one, one at a time, simply, one and a half, sesqui-, natura il fece, e poi roppe la stampa, du fort au faible, two souls with but a single thought, two hearts that beat as one.

Compact

N compact, contract, agreement, bargain, affidation, pact, paction, bond, covenant, indenture, bundobast, deal, stipulation, settlement, convention, compromise, cartel, Protocol, treaty, concordat, Zollverein, Sonderbund, charter, Magna Charta, Progmatic Sanction, customs union, free trade region, General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, GATT, most favored nation status, negotiation, diplomacy, negotiator, ratification, completion, signature, seal, sigil, signet, agreed, conventional, under hand and seal, caveat emptor.

Contraction

N contraction, reduction, diminution, decrease of size, defalcation, decrement, lessening, shrinking, compaction, tabes, collapse, emaciation, attenuation, tabefaction, consumption, marasmus, atrophy, systole, neck, hourglass, condensation, compression, compactness, compendium, squeezing, strangulation, corrugation, astringency, astringents, sclerotics, contractility, compressibility, coarctation, inferiority in size, contracting, astringent, shrunk, contracted, strangulated, tabid, wizened, stunted, waning, neap, compact, unexpanded &c (expand), contractile, compressible, smaller &c (small).

Shortness

N shortness, brevity, littleness, a span, shortening, abbreviation, abbreviature, abridgment, concision, retrenchment, curtailment, decurtation, reduction, epitome, elision, ellipsis, conciseness, abridger, epitomist, epitomizer, short, brief, curt, compendious, compact, stubby, scrimp, shorn, stubbed, stumpy, thickset, pug, chunky, decurtate, retrousse, stocky, squab, squabby, squat, dumpy, little, curtailed of its fair proportions, short by, oblate, concise, summary, shortly, in short.

Density

N density, solidity, solidness, impenetrability, impermeability, incompressibility, imporosity, cohesion, constipation, consistence, spissitude, specific gravity, hydrometer, areometer, condensation, caseation, solidation, solidification, consolidation, concretion, coagulation, petrification, crystallization, precipitation, deposit, precipitate, inspissation, gelation, thickening, indivisibility, indiscerptibility, insolubility, indissolvableness, solid body, mass, block, knot, lump, concretion, concrete, conglomerate, cake, clot, stone, curd, coagulum, bone, gristle, cartilage, casein, crassamentum, legumin, superdense matter, condensed states of matter, dwarf star, neutron star, dense, solid, solidified, caseous, pukka, coherent, cohesive, compact, close, serried, thickset, substantial, massive, lumpish, impenetrable, impermeable, nonporous, imporous, incompressible, constipated, concrete, knotted, knotty, gnarled, crystalline, crystallizable, thick, grumous, stuffy, undissolved, unmelted, unliquefied, unthawed, indivisible, indiscerptible, infrangible, indissolvable, indissoluble, insoluble, infusible.