from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Composite \Com*pos"ite\ (?; 277), a. [L. compositus made up of
parts, p. p. of componere. See {Compound}, v. t., and cf.
{Compost}.]
1. Made up of distinct parts or elements; compounded; as, a
composite language.
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Happiness, like air and water . . . is composite.
--Landor.
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2. (Arch.) Belonging to a certain order which is composed of
the Ionic order grafted upon the Corinthian. It is called
also the {Roman} or the {Italic} order, and is one of the
five orders recognized by the Italian writers of the
sixteenth century. See {Capital}.
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3. (Bot.) Belonging to the order {Composit[ae]}; bearing
involucrate heads of many small florets, as the daisy,
thistle, and dandelion.
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{Composite carriage}, a railroad car having compartments of
different classes. [Eng.]
{Composite number} (Math.), one which can be divided exactly
by a number exceeding unity, as 6 by 2 or 3..
{Composite photograph} or {Composite portrait}, one made by a
combination, or blending, of several distinct photographs.
--F. Galton.
{Composite sailing} (Naut.), a combination of parallel and
great circle sailing.
{Composite ship}, one with a wooden casing and iron frame.
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