function
Listen:Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
function/ˈfʌŋkʃn/
▶noun
- 1 an activity that is natural to or the purpose of a person or thing.
■ a computer operation corresponding to a single instruction from the user.
- 2 a large or formal social event or ceremony.
- 3 Mathematics a relation or expression involving one or more variables.
■ a variable quantity regarded as depending on another variable.
- 4 a thing dependent on another factor or factors.
- 5 Chemistry a functional group.
■ (function as) fulfil the purpose or task of (a specified thing).
– derivatives
functionless adjective.
functionless adjective.
– origin C16: from Fr. fonction, from L. functio(n-), from fungi ‘perform’.
'function' also found in these Oxford entries:
adaptationism
- adjoint
- -age
- Alt key
- analogous
- aplasia
- apology
- appendage
- arc
- argument
- as
- associate
- -ate
- attachment
- automaton
- bilinear
- biofeedback
- biomaterial
- blockade
- body
- break
- bunfight
- cardinal
- carriage release
- caste
- circulate
- codomain
- come
- committee
- competence
- continuative
- continuous
- control key
- convert
- cosine
- counterpart
- covariance
- cultural attaché
- curl
- cytogenetics
- cytology
- damage
- dead
- decompose
- deficit
- degenerative
- deixis
- derivative
- derive
- design
