3  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Composition  \Com`po*si"tion\,  n.  [F.  composition,  fr  L. 
  compositio.  See  {Composite}.] 
  1.  The  act  or  art  of  composing,  or  forming  a  whole  or 
  integral,  by  placing  together  and  uniting  different 
  things  parts  or  ingredients.  In  specific  uses: 
  a  The  invention  or  combination  of  the  parts  of  any 
  literary  work  or  discourse,  or  of  a  work  of  art;  as 
  the  composition  of  a  poem  or  a  piece  of  music.  ``The 
  constant  habit  of  elaborate  composition.''  --Macaulay. 
  b  (Fine  Arts)  The  art  or  practice  of  so  combining  the 
  different  parts  of  a  work  of  art  as  to  produce  a 
  harmonious  whole;  also  a  work  of  art  considered  as 
  such  See  4,  below. 
  c  The  act  of  writing  for  practice  in  a  language,  as 
  English,  Latin,  German,  etc 
  d  (Print.)  The  setting  up  of  type  and  arranging  it  for 
  printing. 
 
  2.  The  state  of  being  put  together  or  composed;  conjunction; 
  combination;  adjustment. 
 
  View  them  in  composition  with  other  things  --I. 
  Watts. 
 
  The  elementary  composition  of  bodies.  --Whewell. 
 
  3.  A  mass  or  body  formed  by  combining  two  or  more  substances; 
  as  a  chemical  composition. 
 
  A  composition  that  looks  .  .  .  like  marble. 
  --Addison. 
 
  4.  A  literary,  musical,  or  artistic  production,  especially 
  one  showing  study  and  care  in  arrangement;  --  often  used 
  of  an  elementary  essay  or  translation  done  as  an 
  educational  exercise. 
 
  5.  Consistency;  accord;  congruity.  [Obs.] 
 
  There  is  no  composition  in  these  news  That  gives 
  them  credit.  --Shak. 
 
  6.  Mutual  agreement  to  terms  or  conditions  for  the  settlement 
  of  a  difference  or  controversy;  also  the  terms  or 
  conditions  of  settlement;  agreement. 
 
  Thus  we  are  agreed:  I  crave  our  composition  may  be 
  written.  --Shak. 
 
  7.  (Law)  The  adjustment  of  a  debt,  or  avoidance  of  an 
  obligation,  by  some  form  of  compensation  agreed  on  between 
  the  parties;  also  the  sum  or  amount  of  compensation 
  agreed  upon  in  the  adjustment. 
 
  Compositions  for  not  taking  the  order  of  knighthood. 
  --Hallam. 
 
  Cleared  by  composition  with  their  creditors. 
  --Blackstone. 
 
  8.  Synthesis  as  opposed  to  analysis. 
 
  The  investigation  of  difficult  things  by  the  method 
  of  analysis  ought  ever  to  precede  the  method  of 
  composition.  --Sir  I. 
  Newton. 
 
  {Composition  cloth},  a  kind  of  cloth  covered  with  a 
  preparation  making  it  waterproof. 
 
  {Composition  deed},  an  agreement  for  composition  between  a 
  debtor  and  several  creditors. 
 
  {Composition  plane}  (Crystallog.),  the  plane  by  which  the  two 
  individuals  of  a  twin  crystal  are  united  in  their  reserved 
  positions. 
 
  {Composition  of  forces}  (Mech.),  the  finding  of  a  single 
  force  (called  the  resultant)  which  shall  be  equal  in 
  effect  to  two  or  more  given  forces  (called  the  components) 
  when  acting  in  given  directions.  --Herbert. 
 
  {Composition  metal},  an  alloy  resembling  brass,  which  is 
  sometimes  used  instead  of  copper  for  sheathing  vessels;  -- 
  also  called  {Muntz  metal}  and  {yellow  metal}. 
 
  {Composition  of  proportion}  (Math.),  an  arrangement  of  four 
  proportionals  so  that  the  sum  of  the  first  and  second  is 
  to  the  second  as  the  sum  of  the  third  and  fourth  to  the 
  fourth 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  composition 
  n  1:  the  spatial  property  resulting  from  the  arrangement  of  parts 
  in  relation  to  each  other  and  to  the  whole;  "harmonious 
  composition  is  essential  in  a  serious  work  of  art"  [syn: 
  {composing}] 
  2:  the  way  in  which  someone  or  something  is  composed  [syn:  {constitution}, 
  {makeup}] 
  3:  a  mixture  of  ingredients 
  4:  a  musical  work  that  has  been  created;  "the  composition  is 
  written  in  four  movements"  [syn:  {musical  composition},  {opus}, 
  {piece},  {piece  of  music}] 
  5:  musical  creation  [syn:  {composing}] 
  6:  the  act  of  creating  written  works  "writing  was  a  form  of 
  therapy  for  him";  "it  was  a  matter  of  disputed  authorship" 
  [syn:  {writing},  {authorship},  {penning}] 
  7:  art  and  technique  of  printing  with  movable  type  [syn:  {typography}] 
  8:  an  essay  (especially  one  written  as  an  assignment);  "he  got 
  an  A  on  his  composition"  [syn:  {paper},  {report},  {theme}] 
  9:  something  that  is  created  by  arranging  several  things  to 
  form  a  unified  whole;  "he  envied  the  composition  of  their 
  faculty" 
 
  From  The  Free  On-line  Dictionary  of  Computing  (13  Mar  01)  [foldoc]: 
 
  composition 
 
  1.  {function  composition}. 
 
  2.  {typesetting}. 
 
  (2000-08-16) 
 
 

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