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Entry 8 senses Webster, 1913

Composition

/kämˌ-pəz-ĭsh'-ən/ · Com·po·si·tion · IPA /ˌkɒmpəˈzɪʃən/
01 n. The act or art of composing, or forming a whole or integral, by placing together and uniting different things, parts, or ingredients.
  1. 1.
    The act or art of composing, or forming a whole or integral, by placing together and uniting different things, parts, or ingredients.(Fine Arts)
  2. 2.
    The state of being put together or composed; conjunction; combination; adjustment.
    “View them in composition with other things.” — I. Watts.
    “The elementary composition of bodies.” — Whewell.
  3. 3.
    A mass or body formed by combining two or more substances; as, a chemical composition.
    “A composition that looks . . . like marble.” — Addison.
  4. 4.
    A literary, musical, or artistic production, especially one showing study and care in arrangement; -- often used of an elementary essay or translation done as an educational exercise.
  5. 5.
    Consistency; accord; congruity.[Obs.]
    “There is no composition in these news That gives them credit.” — Shak.
  6. 6.
    Mutual agreement to terms or conditions for the settlement of a difference or controversy; also, the terms or conditions of settlement; agreement.
    “Thus we are agreed: I crave our composition may be written.” — Shak.
  7. 7.
    The adjustment of a debt, or avoidance of an obligation, by some form of compensation agreed on between the parties; also, the sum or amount of compensation agreed upon in the adjustment.(Law)
    “Compositions for not taking the order of knighthood.” — Hallam.
    “Cleared by composition with their creditors.” — Blackstone.
  8. 8.
    Synthesis as opposed to analysis.
    “The investigation of difficult things by the method of analysis ought ever to precede the method of composition.” — Sir I. Newton.
Phrases & compounds
Composition cloth — a kind of cloth covered with a preparation making it waterproof.
Composition deed — an agreement for composition between a debtor and several creditors.
Composition plane — the plane by which the two individuals of a twin crystal are united in their reserved positions.
Composition of forces — the finding of a single force (called the resultant) which shall be equal in effect to two or more given forces (called the components) when acting in given directions.
Composition metal — an alloy resembling brass, which is sometimes used instead of copper for sheathing vessels; -- also called Muntz metal and yellow metal.
Composition of proportion — an arrangement of four proportionals so that the sum of the first and second is to the second as the sum of the third and fourth to the fourth.