\Com`po*si"tion\, n. [F. composition, fr. L.
compositio. See {Composite}.]
1. The act or art of composing, or forming a whole or
   integral, by placing together and uniting different
   things, parts, or ingredients. In specific uses:
   (a) The invention or combination of the parts of any
       literary work or discourse, or of a work of art; as,
       the composition of a poem or a piece of music. ``The
       constant habit of elaborate composition.'' --Macaulay.
   (b) (Fine Arts) The art or practice of so combining the
       different parts of a work of art as to produce a
       harmonious whole; also, a work of art considered as
       such. See 4, below.
   (c) The act of writing for practice in a language, as
       English, Latin, German, etc.
   (d) (Print.) The setting up of type and arranging it for
       printing.
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. A mass or body formed by combining two or more substances;
   as, a chemical composition.
         A composition that looks . . . like marble.
                                               --Addison.
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. Consistency; accord; congruity. [Obs.]
         There is no composition in these news That gives
         them credit.                          --Shak.
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. (Law) 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.
         Compositions for not taking the order of knighthood.
                                               --Hallam.
         Cleared by composition with their creditors.
                                               --Blackstone.
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.
{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} (Crystallog.), the plane by which the two
   individuals of a twin crystal are united in their reserved
   positions.
{Composition of forces} (Mech.), 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. --Herbert.
{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} (Math.), 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.