Complements are words or groups of words that are necessary to complete the meaning of another part of the sentence. Complements act like modifiers to add additional meaning to the word or words they are attached to. However, unlike adjunct modifiers, they do not add supplemental information—they provide information that is necessary to achieve the intended meaning in the sentence.
Complements, even those that complete the meaning of the subject, are always part of the predicate.
complement
something that completes or brings to perfection: Wine complements a dinner.
Not to be confused with:
compliment – an expression of admiration; praise; regards: My compliments to the chef.
a. Something that completes, makes up a whole, or brings to perfection: a sauce that is a fine complement to fish.
b. The quantity or number needed to make up a whole: shelves with a full complement of books.
c. The full crew of personnel required to run a ship.
d. Either of two parts that complete the whole or mutually complete each other.
2. An angle related to another so that the sum of their measures is 90°.
3. Grammar A word or words used to complete a predicate construction, especially the object or indirect object of a verb, for example, the phrase to eat ice cream in We like to eat ice cream.
4. Music An interval that completes an octave when added to a given interval.
5. Immunology A complex system of proteins found in blood plasma that are sequentially activated and play various roles in the immune response, including lysing bacterial cell membranes, making pathogens more susceptible to phagocytes, and recruiting inflammatory cells to sites of infection or injury. Also called alexin.
6. Mathematics & Logic For a universal set, the set of all elements in the set that are not in a specified subset.
To serve as a complement to: Roses in a silver bowl complement the handsome cherry table.
[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin complēmentum, from complēre, to fill out; see complete.]
Usage Note: Complement and compliment, though quite distinct in meaning, are sometimes confused because they are pronounced the same. As a noun, complement means "something that completes or brings to perfection" (The antique silver was a complement to the beautifully set table); used as a verb it means "to serve as a complement to." The noun compliment means "an expression or act of courtesy or praise" (They gave us a compliment on our beautifully set table), while the verb means "to pay a compliment to."
2. one of two parts that make up a whole or complete each other
3. a complete amount, number, etc (often in the phrase full complement)
4. (Nautical Terms) the officers and crew needed to man a ship
5. (Grammar) grammar
a. a noun phrase that follows a copula or similar verb, as for example an idiot in the sentence He is an idiot
b. a clause that serves as the subject or direct object of a verb or the direct object of a preposition, as for example that he would be early in the sentence I hoped that he would be early
6. (Mathematics) maths the angle that, when added to a specified angle, produces a right angle
7. (Logic) logicmaths the class of all things, or of all members of a given universe of discourse, that are not members of a given set
8. (Mathematics) logicmaths the class of all things, or of all members of a given universe of discourse, that are not members of a given set
9. (Music, other) music the inverted form of an interval that, when added to the interval, completes the octave: the sixth is the complement of the third.
10. (Microbiology) immunol a group of proteins in the blood serum that, when activated by antibodies, causes destruction of alien cells, such as bacteria
vb
(tr) to add to, make complete, or form a complement to
[C14: from Latin complēmentum, from complēre to fill up, from com- (intensive) + plēre to fill]
1. something that completes or makes perfect: A good wine is a complement to a good meal.
2. the quantity or amount that completes anything: We now have a full complement of bridge players.
3. either of two parts or things needed to complete the whole; counterpart.
4. the full number of officers and crew required on a ship.
5.
a. a word or group of words that completes a grammatical construction in the predicate and that describes or is identified with the subject or object, as small in The house is small or president in They elected him president. Compare object complement, subject complement.
b. any word or group of words used to complete a grammatical construction, esp. in the predicate, including adverbials, infinitives, and sometimes objects.
6. the quantity by which an angle or an arc falls short of 90° or a quarter of a circle. Compare supplement (def. 3).
7. Math. the set of all the elements of a universal set not included in a given set.
8. a musical interval that completes an octave when added to a given interval.
9.
a. a set of about 20 proteins that circulate in the blood and react in various combinations to promote the destruction of any cell displaying foreign surfaces or immune complexes.
b. any of the proteins in the complement system, designated C1, C2, etc.
[1350–1400; Middle English < Latin complēmentum something that completes]
com′ple•ment`er,n.
syn: complement, supplement both mean to make additions to something; a lack or deficiency is implied. To complement means to complete or perfect a whole; it often refers to putting together two things, each of which supplies what is lacking in the other: Statements from different points of view may complement each other. To supplement is to add something in order to enhance, extend, or improve a whole: Some additional remarks supplemented the sales presentation.
1. A system of proteins found in the serum of the blood that helps antibodies destroy disease-causing bacteria or other foreign substances, especially antigens.
These words can both be verbs or nouns. When they are verbs, they are pronounced /'kɒmplɪment/. When they are nouns, they are pronounced /'kɒmplɪmənt/.
1. 'complement'
If one thing complements another, the two things increase each other's good qualities when they are brought together.
Nutmeg, parsley and cider all complement the flavour of these beans well.
Current advances in hardware development nicely complement British software skills.
2. 'compliment'
If you compliment someone, you tell them that you admire something that they have or something that they have done.
They complimented me on the way I looked.
She is to be complimented for handling the situation so well.
A compliment is something that you do or say to someone to show your admiration for them.
She took his acceptance as a great compliment.
You say that you pay someone a compliment.
He knew that he had just been paid a great compliment.
complement - a word or phrase used to complete a grammatical construction
grammatical construction, construction, expression - a group of words that form a constituent of a sentence and are considered as a single unit; "I concluded from his awkward constructions that he was a foreigner"
2.
complement - a complete number or quantity; "a full complement"
ship's company, company - crew of a ship including the officers; the whole force or personnel of a ship
4.
complement - something added to complete or embellish or make perfect; "a fine wine is a perfect complement to the dinner"; "wild rice was served as an accompaniment to the main dish"
adjunct - something added to another thing but not an essential part of it
5.
complement - one of a series of enzymes in the blood serum that are part of the immune response
immune reaction, immune response, immunologic response - a bodily defense reaction that recognizes an invading substance (an antigen: such as a virus or fungus or bacteria or transplanted organ) and produces antibodies specific against that antigen
enzyme - any of several complex proteins that are produced by cells and act as catalysts in specific biochemical reactions
6.
complement - either of two parts that mutually complete each other
complement - make complete or perfect; supply what is wanting or form the complement to; "I need some pepper to complement the sweet touch in the soup"
balance, equilibrise, equilibrize, equilibrate - bring into balance or equilibrium; "She has to balance work and her domestic duties"; "balance the two weights"
Usage: This is sometimes confused with compliment but the two words have very different meanings. As the synonyms show, the verb form of complement means `to enhance' and `to complete' something. In contrast, common synonyms of compliment as a verb are praise, commend, and flatter.
(= total number) [staff] → effectifm The borough will be 100 teachers short of a full complement of 2,500 → La municipalité aura 100 professeursmanquantspar rapport à un effectiftotal de 2,500. to have the full complement of sth (= proper number or amount) → avoir la totalité de qch They did not have the full complement of 11 players on the pitch → Ils n'avaient pas la totalité des onze joueurs sur le terrain.
(= full number) → volleStärke; (= crew of ship) → Besatzungf; the battalion didn’t have its full complement of soldiers → das Bataillon hatte seine Sollstärke nicht; we’ve got our full complement in the office now → unser Büro ist jetztkomplettor voll besetzt
1. in a sentence, the words of the predicate, not including the verb. aanvulling كَلِمَه مُتَمِّمَه للخَبَر допълнение complemento doplněk die Ergänzung predikatsord; predikativ κατηγορούμενοcomplemento öeldistäide مسند predikatiivi complémentמשלים वाक्य dopuna predikata, priloška oznaka állítmánykiegészítő pelengkap sagnfylling complemento 補語 보충 vardinė tarinio dalis papildinātājs (gramatikā) pelengkap bepaling van gesteldheid predikatsord, predikativ dopełnienie بشپړ تيا: پوره حساب او بشپړ مقدار complemento complement дополнение doplnok določilo dopuna predikatsfyllnad องค์ประกอบที่ทำให้สมบูรณ์ในประโยค tümleç, tamlayıcı 補語 додаток تکملہ bổ ngữ 补语
2. (something added to make) a complete number or amount. volledige; afronding عَد مُكَمِّل добавка complemento doplnění ergänzen tillæg; supplement συμπλήρωμαcomplemento täiendus مکمل lisäys complémentמכסה अनुपूरक nadopuna, potpuni broj, komplement teljes szám tambahan full tala, tilætlaður fjöldi complemento 定数 보완물 papildymas, (su)komplektavimas, komplektas papildinājums bilangan yang cukup complementtillegg, utfyllinguzupełnienie تکمیل complemento efectiv, completare дополнение doplnok dopolnilo dodatak komplement สิ่งที่เพิ่มเพื่อให้เกิดความสมบูรณ์ tamamlayıcı şey 補充 комплект مکمل کرنے والا phần bổ sung 补足物
verb
to complete, fill up. afhandel, afrond, vervolledig, voltooi; uitvoer; invul يُكَمِّل، يَمْلأ допълвам completar doplnit ergänzen udfylde; fylde op συμπληρώνωcomplementar täiendama کامل کردن täydentää compléter לְהַשלִים किसी को पूर्ण करना učiniti potpunim, biti dopuna kiegészít melengkapi fylla (upp) completare 補う 완전하게 하다, 보충하다 papildyti papildināt melengkapkan completerenfullstendiggjøre, utfylle, fylle opp dopełniać تکمیلول completar a completa дополнять doplniť dopolniti dzavršiti komplettera เสร็จ tamamlamak 補充 доповнювати; укомплектовувати مکمل کرنا bổ sung 补充
CH50 testing is the most common assay used to screen patients for the functional activity of the classical complement pathway, and in the work up of complement deficiency. Guidelines from The National Immune Deficiency Foundation and the European Society for Immunodeficiencies recommend screening with the CH50 assay in the diagnostic workup of complement deficiency.
Ciara (name changed), a 13-year-old-girl from Mauritius, suffering from rarest of the rare Complement Deficiency genetic disease, C1q deficiency since the age of 2, became the first teen in Asia suffering from this complex condition to receive a bone marrow transplant.
Dankert, "Complement deficiency predisposes for meningitis due to nongroupable meningococci and Neisseria-related bacteria," Clinical Infectious Diseases, vol.
Meningococcal risk factors include close contacts or crowding such as among college students and military recruits living in close quarters, poor socioeconomic status, immunocompromised conditions such as terminal complement pathway deficiency, human immunodeficiency virus infection, acquired complement deficiency, and splenic dysfunction.
In the United States, the vaccine was recommended (category A) for individuals in this age grouping with complement deficiency, anatomic or functional asplenia, outbreaks (when indicated), and for microbiologists.
Eculizumab induces a "functional complement deficiency" and increases the risk of infection with encapsulated bacteria especially Neisseria meningitidis.
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