From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Combination \Com`bi*na"tion\, n. [LL. combinatio. See
{Combine}.]
1. The act or process of combining or uniting persons and
things.
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Making new compounds by new combinations. --Boyle.
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A solemn combination shall be made
Of our dear souls. --Shak.
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2. The result of combining or uniting; union of persons or
things; esp. a union or alliance of persons or states to
effect some purpose; -- usually in a bad sense.
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A combination of the most powerful men in Rome who
had conspired my ruin. --Melmoth.
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3. (Chem.) The act or process of uniting by chemical
affinity, by which substances unite with each other in
definite proportions by weight to form distinct compounds.
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4. pl. (Math.) The different arrangements of a number of
objects, as letters, into groups.
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Note: In combinations no regard is paid to the order in which
the objects are arranged in each group, while in
variations and permutations this order is respected.
--Brande & C.
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{Combination car}, a railroad car containing two or more
compartments used for different purposes. [U. S.]
{Combination lock}, a lock in which the mechanism is
controlled by means of a movable dial (sometimes by
several dials or rings) inscribed with letters or other
characters. The bolt of the lock can not be operated until
after the dial has been so turned as to combine the
characters in a certain order or succession.
{Combination room}, in the University of Cambridge, Eng., a
room into which the fellows withdraw after dinner, for
wine, dessert, and conversation.
{Combination by volume} (Chem.), the act, process, or ratio
by which gaseous elements and compounds unite in definite
proportions by volume to form distinct compounds.
{Combination by weight} (Chem.), the act, process, or ratio,
in which substances unite in proportions by weight,
relatively fixed and exact, to form distinct compounds.
See {Law of definite proportions}, under {Definite}.
Syn: Cabal; alliance; association; league; union;
confederacy; coalition; conspiracy. See {Cabal}.
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From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
combination lock
n 1: lock that can be opened only by turning dials in a special
sequence
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