COMPACT

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does compact mean? 

• COMPACT (noun)
  The noun COMPACT has 3 senses:

1. a small cosmetics case with a mirror; to be carried in a woman's purse

2. a signed written agreement between two or more parties (nations) to perform some action

3. a small and economical car

  Familiarity information: COMPACT used as a noun is uncommon.

• COMPACT (adjective)
  The adjective COMPACT has 3 senses:

1. closely and firmly united or packed together

2. having a short and solid form or stature

3. briefly giving the gist of something

  Familiarity information: COMPACT used as an adjective is uncommon.

• COMPACT (verb)
  The verb COMPACT has 4 senses:

1. have the property of being packable or of compacting easily

2. compress into a wad

3. make more compact by or as if by pressing

4. squeeze or press together

  Familiarity information: COMPACT used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• COMPACT (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A small cosmetics case with a mirror; to be carried in a woman's purse

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

compact; powder compact

Hypernyms ("compact" is a kind of...):

case (a portable container for carrying several objects)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A signed written agreement between two or more parties (nations) to perform some action

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

compact; concordat; covenant

Hypernyms ("compact" is a kind of...):

written agreement (a legal document summarizing the agreement between parties)

Instance hyponyms:

Lateran Treaty (the agreement signed in the Lateran Palace in 1929 by Italy and the Holy See which recognized the Vatican City as a sovereign and independent papal state)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A small and economical car

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

compact; compact car

Hypernyms ("compact" is a kind of...):

auto; automobile; car; machine; motorcar (a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine)

• COMPACT (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Closely and firmly united or packed together

Context example:

compact clusters of flowers

Similar:

clayey; cloggy; heavy ((used of soil) compact and fine-grained)

close-packed (packed especially tightly)

consolidated (forming a solid mass)

impacted; wedged (wedged or packed in together)

packed (pressed together or compressed)

serried ((especially of rows as of troops or mountains) pressed together)

tight (packed closely together)

Also:

concentrated (gathered together or made less diffuse)

Antonym:

loose (not compact or dense in structure or arrangement)

Derivation:

compactness (the consistency of a compact solid)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Having a short and solid form or stature

Synonyms:

compact; heavyset; stocky; thick; thickset

Context example:

a thickset young man

Similar:

little; short (low in stature; not tall)

Derivation:

compactness (the consistency of a compact solid)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Briefly giving the gist of something

Synonyms:

compact; compendious; succinct; summary

Context example:

a summary formulation of a wide-ranging subject

Similar:

concise (expressing much in few words)

• COMPACT (verb)

Conjugation:

Sense 1

Meaning:

Have the property of being packable or of compacting easily

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

compact; pack

Context example:

Such odd-shaped items do not pack well

Hypernyms (to "compact" is one way to...):

be (have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun))

Verb group:

bundle; compact; pack; wad (compress into a wad)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s Adjective

Derivation:

compaction (an increase in the density of something)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Compress into a wad

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

bundle; compact; pack; wad

Context example:

wad paper into the box

Hypernyms (to "compact" is one way to...):

arrange; set up (put into a proper or systematic order)

Verb group:

compact; pack (have the property of being packable or of compacting easily)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "compact"):

puddle (work a wet mixture, such as concrete or mud)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something PP

Derivation:

compaction (the act of crushing)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Make more compact by or as if by pressing

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

compact; compress; pack together

Context example:

compress the data

Hypernyms (to "compact" is one way to...):

force; squeeze; wedge (squeeze like a wedge into a tight space)

"Compact" entails doing...:

press (exert pressure or force to or upon)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "compact"):

pack; tamp; tamp down (press down tightly)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
Somebody ----s something PP

Derivation:

compaction (the act of crushing)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Squeeze or press together

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

compact; compress; constrict; contract; press; squeeze

Context example:

the spasm contracted the muscle

Hypernyms (to "compact" is one way to...):

tighten (become tight or tighter)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "compact"):

choke; strangle (constrict (someone's) throat and keep from breathing)

prim (contract one's lips)

astringe (constrict or bind or draw together)

strangulate (constrict a hollow organ or vessel so as to stop the flow of blood or air)

convulse (contract involuntarily, as in a spasm)

convulse (cause to contract)

bear down; overbear (contract the abdominal muscles during childbirth to ease delivery)

choke; fret; gag (be too tight; rub or press)

choke; scrag (wring the neck of)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

 Context examples 

The Australian Cattle Dog is a sturdy, compact, well-muscled and powerful working dog.

(Australian Cattle Dog, NCI Thesaurus)

The body is compact, with a short back.

(American Cocker Spaniel, NCI Thesaurus)

The Bulldog is small in stature, but wide and compact, with a thick, massive head.

(Bulldog, NCI Thesaurus)

It has a compact body with small, pointy and erect ears.

(Cairn Terrier, NCI Thesaurus)

A process of progressive and tight packing of dispersed replicated interphase chromatin into compact structures in metaphase prior to mitotic or meiotic nuclear division or during apoptosis in eukaryotic cells.

(Chromosome Condensation, NCI Thesaurus)

A solid dosage form in which a tablet has been compacted into capsule shape.

(Caplet Dosage Form, NCI Thesaurus)

Activin receptor-like kinase 3 (ALK3) is specifically required at mid-gestation for normal development of the trabeculae, compact myocardium, interventricular septum, and endocardial cushion.

(ALK Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/BIOCARTA)

An adenoma of the adrenal cortex composed of neoplastic compact cells with eosinophilic cytoplasm.

(Adrenal Cortex Compact Cell Adenoma, NCI Thesaurus)

LIGO tells us there was a merger of compact objects, and Fermi tells us there was a short gamma-ray burst.

(NASA Missions Catch First Light from a Gravitational-Wave Event, NASA)

But CX330 is more compact, hotter and likely more massive than the FU Orionis-like objects known.

(Loneliest Young Star Seen by Spitzer and WISE, NASA)