decompaction

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UK/diːkəmˈpækʃən/

noun

The act or process of making something less compact; often specifically the reversal of previous compaction

OriginEnglish compaction ← Latin dē- ← Proto-Italic *dē →
Scrabble 21
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Meanings

noundecompaction (countable and uncountable, plural decompactions)

plural decompactions

  1. countableuncountablebiochemistryThe act or process of making something less compact; often specifically the reversal of previous compaction

    As a result of decompaction, the permeability of low-porosity rocks may increase by several orders of magnitude.

    1995, Georgiy P. Zaraisky, Victor N. Balashov, “Thermal Decompaction of Rocks”, in Shmulovich et al., editors, Fluids in the Crust, →ISBN, page 254

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*de
  2. Proto-Indo-European*déh₁
  3. Proto-Italic*dē
  4. Latindē
  5. Latindē-
  6. Englishde-
  7. Englishcompaction
  8. Englishdecompaction

From de- + compaction.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

French décompactage
  • décompactagethe act of making something less compact
Cite this entry
APA

decompaction. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/decompaction

MLA

“decompaction.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/decompaction. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “decompaction,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/decompaction.

Source: decompaction on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.