compile

UK: /kəmˈpaɪl/ US: /kəmˈpaɪl/ ,(kəm pīl′)

Inflections of 'compile' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

compiles

v 3rd person singular

compiling

v pres p

compiled

v past

compiled

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

com•pile /kəmˈpaɪl/   v. [~ + object] , -piled, -pil•ing. 

1. to put together (documents, selections, or other materials) in one book or work from materials taken from various sources:
   to compile data.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

com•pile  (kəm pīl′), v.t., -piled, -pil•ing. 

1. to put together (documents, selections, or other materials) in one book or work.
2. to make (a book, writing, or the like) of materials from various sources:
   to compile an anthology of plays; to compile a graph showing changes in profit.
3. to gather together:
   to compile data.
4. Computing to translate (a computer program) from a high-level language into another language, usually machine language, using a compiler.

• Latin compīlāre to rob, pillage, steal from another writer, equivalent. to com- com- + -pīlāre, perh. akin to pīla column, pier, pile¹, pīlāre to fix firmly, plant (hence, pile up, accumulate)
• Middle English 1275–1325

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

compile / kəmˈpaɪl/ verb (transitive)

1. to make or compose from other materials or sources: to compile a list of names
2. to collect or gather for a book, hobby, etc
3. to create (a set of machine instructions) from a high-level programming language, using a compiler

Etymology: 14th Century: from Latin compīlāre to pile together, plunder, from com- together + pīlāre to thrust down, pack