v. 25B6; verb
the chemical prevents corpses decomposing : DECAY, rot, putrefy, go bad, go off, spoil, fester, perish, deteriorate; degrade, break down, moulder, mortify, shrivel, wither.
some minerals decompose rapidly : BREAK UP, fragment, disintegrate, crumble, dissolve; break down, decay.
decompose words into simpler elements : SEPARATE, divide, break down, dissect, resolve, reduce.