# component

Pronunciation: say "kuhm-POH-nuhnt" US /kəmˈpoʊnənt/, UK /kəmˈpəʊnənt/

## Noun

1. A self-contained part of a larger whole, especially a manufactured piece designed to fit into a larger device or system.
   - Simple: One part of a bigger thing, often a piece made to fit inside a machine.
   - _The mechanic replaced a faulty component in the transmission._
   - _Trust is an essential component of any lasting partnership._
4. In graph theory, a connected subgraph that is not contained in any larger connected subgraph.
   - Simple: In math, a group of points in a network that are all connected to each other but not to the rest.
   - _Removing the cut vertex split the graph into two components._
   - _The algorithm visits every vertex in a component before moving on to the next._

## Adjective

2. Serving as one of the parts that together make up a larger whole.
   - Simple: Being one of the smaller parts that together make a bigger whole.
   - _Engineers tested each component subsystem before final assembly._
   - _The auditors reviewed the component costs that made up the total bid._
3. Made up of smaller, complete units that combine to form a single whole.
   - Simple: Built from separate, complete parts that work together as one system.
   - _Audiophiles often prefer a component system to an all-in-one unit._
   - _The builder chose component construction, with factory-made rooms joined together on site._

## Origin

Borrowed from Latin compōnēns (stem compōnēntis), the present participle of compōnō meaning "to assemble, put together."

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/component (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).