1. The act or process of resolving the constituent parts of a compound body or substance into its elementary parts; separation into constituent part; analysis; the decay or dissolution consequent on the removal or alteration of some of the ingredients of a compound; disintegration; as, the decomposition of wood, rocks, etc.
Origin: Pref. De- (in sense 3 intensive) _ composition: cf. F. Decomposition. Cf. Decomposition. In a decomposed state.(chemistry) separation of a substance into two or more substances that may differ from each other and from the original substance.(biology) decaying caused by bacterial or fungal action.The organic phenomenon of rotting.The breaking down of a material into a less complicated chemical structure.