Function (engineering)
WordNet
noun
(1) The actions and activities assigned to or required or expected of a person or group
"The function of a teacher"
"The government must do its part"
"Play its role"
(2) What something is used for
"The function of an auger is to bore holes"
"Ballet is beautiful but what use is it?"
(3) A set sequence of steps, part of larger computer program
(4) A vaguely specified social event
"The party was quite an affair"
"An occasion arranged to honor the president"
"A seemingly endless round of social functions"
(5) A formal or official social gathering or ceremony
"It was a black-tie function"
(6) A relation such that one thing is dependent on another
"Height is a function of age"
"Price is a function of supply and demand"
(7) A mathematical relation such that each element of one set is associated with at least one element of another set
verb
(8) Perform duties attached to a particular office or place or function
"His wife officiated as his private secretary"
(9) Perform as expected when applied
"The washing machine won't go unless it's plugged in"
"Does this old car still run well?"
"This old radio doesn't work anymore"
WiktionaryText
Etymology
From fonction < function < functio gen. functionis "performance, execution" < functus pp. of fungor "perform, execute, discharge".
Noun
- What something does or is used for.
- A professional or official position.
- An official or social occasion.
- A relation where one thing is dependent on another for its existence, value, or significance.
- A relation in which each element of the domain is associated with exactly one element of the codomain.
- A routine that receives zero or more arguments and may return a result.
- The physiological activity of an organ or body part.
- The characteristic behavior of a chemical compound.
Synonyms
aim, intention, purpose, role, use occupation, office, part, role affair, occasion, social occasion, social function many-to-one map, many-to-one mapping, mathematical function, operation, transformation procedure, routine, subprogram, subroutineVerb
- to have a function
- to carry on a function; to be in action