compact

Pluralcompacts

Formscompacts, compacting, compacted

1. 1
   adjective

   Small, but with everything you need fitted neatly inside.

   Our new apartment is compact, but it has everything we need.

   This compact stroller folds up small enough to take on a plane.

   Similarsmall, snug, portable

   Oppositebulky, spacious, roomy

2. 2
   adjective

   Packed closely together, so a lot of material fills a small space.

   Press the sand down until it is firm and compact.

   The snow on the path was hard and compact after everyone walked on it.

   Similardense, crowded, concentrated

   Oppositeloose, porous, airy

   Note
3. 3
   nouncountable

   A small car, bigger than the smallest cars but smaller than medium-size ones.

   We rented a compact because it uses less gas.

   Compacts are easy to park in the city.

4. 4
   verbtransitive

   To press something down hard so it takes up less space.

   Use your feet to compact the soil around the new tree.

   The machine compacts old cans into small blocks.

   Similarcompress, pack, tamp, consolidate

   Oppositeloosen

5. 5
   nouncountable

   A small, flat folding case, often with a mirror and face powder inside, that fits in a purse or pocket.

   She checked her lipstick in the little mirror of her compact.

   Grandma's silver compact still has a powder puff inside.

6. 6
   nouncountable

   An agreement that two or more people or groups make with each other.

   The two towns made a compact to share one fire station.

   Several schools signed a compact to cut down on waste.

   Similaragreement, pact, contract, treaty

   Note
7. 7
   adjective

   Of writing, short and clear, without extra words.

   His essay was compact and easy to read.

   The writer is known for her compact style.

   Similarconcise, succinct, terse, pithy, economical

   Oppositeverbose, wordy, rambling, diffuse

8. 8
   nouncountable

   A serious newspaper printed on small, tabloid-size pages, but not written in a shocking style.

   Our local paper is now a compact, so the pages are smaller.

   Dad reads a compact at breakfast because it takes up less room on the table than a big paper.

   Note
9. 9
   verbintransitive

   To make an agreement with another person or group.

   Neighboring towns sometimes compact to share the cost of a fire truck.

   The workers compacted to stand together if anyone was fired.

   Similaragree, contract

10. 10
    verbtransitive

    To join parts together firmly so they work as one.

    One strong leader compacted the small tribes into a single kingdom.

    Months of hard work can compact a class into a real team.

    Similarunite, unify, consolidate, weld, forge

    Oppositedivide, split

    Note
11. 11
    adjective

    In math, describes a space where every cover of open sets can be cut down to a limited number.

    A circle is compact, but a line that goes on forever is not.

    Any space with only a finite number of points is compact.

    Note
12. 12
    adjective

    In math, describes a space where open covers shrink to finite ones and any two points can be kept apart.

    Every compact space is normal, so its closed sets can always be kept apart.

    A space whose points cannot be kept apart is not compact, even when every open cover shrinks to a finite one.

    Note

Showing meanings only. Show all 15