composes

Composes is the third-person singular present tense form of the verb compose. The verb originates from the Latin componere, from com- “together” + ponere “to place.” In general, to compose means to create by putting parts together or to arrange elements into a coherent whole.

Common uses include artistic creation—composing music, poetry, or prose; arranging components into a system or document; and resolving internal disposition, as in to compose oneself before acting or speaking. The object of composition can be a musical piece, a written work, or any complex whole.

In music, a composer is a person who writes musical works; to compose a piece means to create it. In literature or rhetoric, to compose a letter, an essay, or a speech means to craft it with care.

In mathematics and computer science, to compose refers to forming the composition of functions or operations. If f and g are functions, the composition f composed with g is denoted f∘g; this yields a new function defined by applying g first, then f.

Usage notes: compose is often followed by nouns like a symphony, a sonnet, or a plan, but can also take a pronoun or clause object. The verb can be used in idiomatic phrases such as “to compose oneself” meaning to calm one’s feelings.

See also: composition (general concept), composer, composition (music), function composition.