Compound metre

In music, compound metre or compound time is a time signature or meter in which each beat (or rather, portion, 1/2 or 1/3 of a measure) is divided into three parts, as opposed to two which is simple meter.

For example, 6/8 is divided into two parts, making it duple meter, of three quavers (eighth notes) each, making it compound meter (compound duple meter).