COMPLEMENT


Meaning of COMPLEMENT in English

n. & v.

--n.

1. a something that completes. b one of a pair, or one of two things that go together.

2 (often full complement) the full number needed to man a ship, fill a conveyance, etc.

3 Gram. a word or phrase added to a verb to complete the predicate of a sentence.

4 Biochem. a group of proteins in the blood capable of lysing bacteria etc.

5 Math. any element not belonging to a specified set or class.

6 Geom. the amount by which an angle is less than 90° (cf. SUPPLEMENT).

--v.tr.

1. complete.

2 form a complement to (the scarf complements her dress).

Derivatives:

complemental adj.

Etymology: ME f. L complementum (as COMPLETE)

Oxford English vocab.      Оксфордский английский словарь.