compile

From Middle English compilen, from Old French compiler, from Latin compīlō (“to plunder”).

• (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA^(key): /kəmˈpaɪl/

  • Audio (Southern England)

    (file)

• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /kəmˈpɑɪl/
• Rhymes: -aɪl

compile (third-person singular simple present compiles, present participle compiling, simple past and past participle compiled)

1. (transitive) To make by gathering pieces from various sources.

   Samuel Johnson compiled one of the most influential dictionaries of the English language.

2. (obsolete) To construct; to build.
   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto III”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:

     Before that Merlin dyde, he did intend / A brasen wall in compas to compyle / About Cairmardin […]

3. (transitive, snooker) To achieve (a break) by making a sequence of shots.

   Steve Davis compiled a 147.

4. (transitive, programming) To use a compiler to process source code and produce executable code.

   After I compile this program I'll run it and see if it works.

5. (intransitive, programming) To be successfully processed by a compiler into executable code.

   There must be an error in my source code because it won't compile.

6. (obsolete, transitive) To contain or comprise.
   • 1595, Edmunde Spenser [i.e., Edmund Spenser], “(please specify the sonnet number or title)”, in Amoretti and Epithalamion. […], London: […] [Peter Short] for William Ponsonby, →OCLC; reprinted in Amoretti and Epithalamion (The Noel Douglas Replicas), London: Noel Douglas […], 1927, →OCLC:

     Which these six books compile.

7. (obsolete) To write; to compose.
   • 1690, William Temple, “Of Heroick Virtue”, in Miscellanea. The Second Part. [...], 2nd edition, London: […] J. R. for Ri[chard] and Ra[lph] Simpson, […], →OCLC, section II, page 188:

     They are at their leisure much given to poetry; in which they compile the praises of virtuous men and actions , satires against vice

• compiler, compilator

compile (plural compiles)

1. (programming) An act of compiling code.
   • 1985, Robert A Stern, An Introduction to Computers and Information Processing:

     […] programming team managers assumed the "improved programs" produced through structured programming would not require as many compiles during development.

   • 2007, Scott Meyers, Mike Lee, MAC OS X Leopard: Beyond the Manual:

     Any file with an error or warning on it will be added to this smart group until the next compile.

• compile time

• polemic

• Audio

  (file)

compile

1. inflection of compiler:
   1. first/third-person singular present indicative/subjunctive
   2. second-person singular imperative

compile

1. inflection of compilar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative

compile

1. inflection of compilar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative

compile

1. inflection of compilar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative