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Definition of compact adjective from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

compact

adjective
 
/kəmˈpækt/,
 
/ˈkɒmpækt/
 
/kəmˈpækt/,
 
/ˈkɑːmpækt/
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  1. smaller than is usual for things of the same kind
    • a compact camera
    • The kitchen was compact but well equipped.
    • The device is small and compact and weighs only 2.2lb.
    Extra Examples
    • Edinburgh is a compact city.
    • The car is surprisingly powerful and has a very compact engine.
  2. closely packed together
    • a compact mass of earth
    • The grey clouds had become more compact and the sky suddenly grew dark.
  3. (of a person or an animal) small and strong
    • He had a compact and muscular body.
    4. Word Originadjective late Middle English: from Latin compact- ‘closely put together, joined’, from the verb compingere, from com- ‘together’ + pangere ‘fasten’.
See compact in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee compact in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
Check pronunciation: compact

Nearby words

dizzy
adjective
 
 
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