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function
function
7 definitions found
for function
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :
Fluent \Flu"ent\, n.
1. A current of water; a stream. [Obs.]
[1913 Webster]
2. [Cf. F. fluente.] (Math.) A variable quantity, considered
as increasing or diminishing; -- called, in the modern
calculus, the function or integral.
[1913 Webster]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :
Function \Func"tion\, n. [L. functio, fr. fungi to perform,
execute, akin to Skr. bhuj to enjoy, have the use of: cf. F.
fonction. Cf. Defunct.]
1. The act of executing or performing any duty, office, or
calling; performance. "In the function of his public
calling." --Swift.
[1913 Webster]
2. (Physiol.) The appropriate action of any special organ or
part of an animal or vegetable organism; as, the function
of the heart or the limbs; the function of leaves, sap,
roots, etc.; life is the sum of the functions of the
various organs and parts of the body.
[1913 Webster]
3. The natural or assigned action of any power or faculty, as
of the soul, or of the intellect; the exertion of an
energy of some determinate kind.
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As the mind opens, and its functions spread. --Pope.
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4. The course of action which peculiarly pertains to any
public officer in church or state; the activity
appropriate to any business or profession.
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Tradesmen . . . going about their functions. --Shak.
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The malady which made him incapable of performing
his
regal functions. --Macaulay.
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5. (Math.) A quantity so connected with another quantity,
that if any alteration be made in the latter there will be
a consequent alteration in the former. Each quantity is
said to be a function of the other. Thus, the
circumference of a circle is a function of the diameter.
If x be a symbol to which different numerical values can
be assigned, such expressions as x^{2, 3^{x}, Log. x, and
Sin. x, are all functions of x.
[1913 Webster]
6. (Eccl.) A religious ceremony, esp. one particularly
impressive and elaborate.
Every solemn `function' performed with the
requirements of the liturgy. --Card.
Wiseman.
[Webster 1913 Suppl.]
7. A public or social ceremony or gathering; a festivity or
entertainment, esp. one somewhat formal.
This function, which is our chief social event. --W.
D. Howells.
[Webster 1913 Suppl.]
Algebraic function, a quantity whose connection with the
variable is expressed by an equation that involves only
the algebraic operations of addition, subtraction,
multiplication, division, raising to a given power, and
extracting a given root; -- opposed to transcendental
function.
Arbitrary function. See under Arbitrary.
Calculus of functions. See under Calculus.
Carnot's function (Thermo-dynamics), a relation between the
amount of heat given off by a source of heat, and the work
which can be done by it. It is approximately equal to the
mechanical equivalent of the thermal unit divided by the
number expressing the temperature in degrees of the air
thermometer, reckoned from its zero of expansion.
Circular functions. See Inverse trigonometrical functions
(below). -- Continuous function, a quantity that has no
interruption in the continuity of its real values, as the
variable changes between any specified limits.
Discontinuous function. See under Discontinuous.
Elliptic functions, a large and important class of
functions, so called because one of the forms expresses
the relation of the arc of an ellipse to the straight
lines connected therewith.
Explicit function, a quantity directly expressed in terms
of the independently varying quantity; thus, in the
equations y = 6x^{2, y = 10 -x^{3}, the quantity y is an
explicit function of x.
Implicit function, a quantity whose relation to the
variable is expressed indirectly by an equation; thus, y
in the equation x^{2 + y^{2} = 100 is an implicit
function of x.
Inverse trigonometrical functions, or Circular functions,
the lengths of arcs relative to the sines, tangents, etc.
Thus, AB is the arc whose sine is BD, and (if the length
of BD is x) is written sin ^{-1x, and so of the other
lines. See Trigonometrical function (below). Other
transcendental functions are the exponential functions,
the elliptic functions, the gamma functions, the theta
functions, etc.
One-valued function, a quantity that has one, and only one,
value for each value of the variable. -- Transcendental
functions, a quantity whose connection with the variable
cannot be expressed by algebraic operations; thus, y in
the equation y = 10^{x is a transcendental function of x.
See Algebraic function (above). -- Trigonometrical
function, a quantity whose relation to the variable is the
same as that of a certain straight line drawn in a circle
whose radius is unity, to the length of a corresponding
are of the circle. Let AB be an arc in a circle, whose
radius OA is unity let AC be a quadrant, and let OC, DB,
and AF be drawnpependicular to OA, and EB and CG parallel
to OA, and let OB be produced to G and F. E Then BD is the
sine of the arc AB; OD or EB is the cosine, AF is the
tangent, CG is the cotangent, OF is the secant OG is the
cosecant, AD is the versed sine, and CE is the coversed
sine of the are AB. If the length of AB be represented by
x (OA being unity) then the lengths of Functions. these
lines (OA being unity) are the trigonometrical functions
of x, and are written sin x, cos x, tan x (or tang x), cot
x, sec x, cosec x, versin x, coversin x. These quantities
are also considered as functions of the angle BOA.
Function
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :
Function \Func"tion\ (f[u^][ng]k"sh[u^]n), Functionate
\Func"tion*ate\, v. i.
To execute or perform a function; to transact one's regular
or appointed business.
[1913 Webster]
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) :
function
n 1: (mathematics) a mathematical relation such that each
element of a given set (the domain of the function) is
associated with an element of another set (the range of the
function) [syn: function, mathematical function,
single-valued function, map, mapping]
2: what something is used for; "the function of an auger is to
bore holes"; "ballet is beautiful but what use is it?" [syn:
function, purpose, role, use]
3: 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" [syn:
function, office, part, role]
4: a relation such that one thing is dependent on another;
"height is a function of age"; "price is a function of supply
and demand"
5: a formal or official social gathering or ceremony; "it was a
black-tie function"
6: 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" [syn: affair,
occasion, social occasion, function, social function]
7: a set sequence of steps, part of larger computer program
[syn: routine, subroutine, subprogram, procedure,
function]
v 1: 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" [syn:
function, work, operate, go, run] [ant:
malfunction, misfunction]
2: serve a purpose, role, or function; "The tree stump serves as
a table"; "The female students served as a control group";
"This table would serve very well"; "His freedom served him
well"; "The table functions as a desk" [syn: serve,
function]
3: perform duties attached to a particular office or place or
function; "His wife officiated as his private secretary"
[syn: officiate, function]
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 :
206 Moby Thesaurus words for "function":
IC analysis, act, act as, acting, action, activism, activities,
activity, affair, affairs, aim, ambition, animus, appositive,
aspiration, assignment, attribute, attributive,
baccalaureate service, bag, banquet, be effective, be in action,
behave, behavior, business, capacity, celebration, ceremonial,
ceremony, character, chore, commencement, commerce, commission,
complement, concern, concernment, construction modifier,
convocation, counsel, cutting, deep structure, desideration,
desideratum, design, desire, determination, dinner, direct object,
do duty, doing, duty, effect, employ, employment, empty formality,
end use, enterprise, event, exercise, exercises, faculty, filler,
fixed purpose, form, form of worship, form-function unit, formal,
formality, formula, formulary, functioning, gala, gathering, go,
goal, graduation, graduation exercises, have effect,
have free play, have play, holy rite, idea,
immediate constituent analysis, immediate purpose, inaugural,
inauguration, indirect object, initiation, institution, intendment,
intent, intention, interest, job, labor, levels, liturgy, lookout,
make, mark, matter, meaning, militate, mind, mission,
mode of worship, modifier, motive, move, movements, mummery,
mystery, nisus, object, objective, observance, occasion,
occupation, office, officiate, operate, operation,
operational purpose, operations, order of worship, ordinance, part,
party, percolate, perform, perform as, performance, perk,
phrase structure, place, plan, play, point, position, practice,
praxis, predicate, prescribed form, proceed, project, proposal,
prospectus, province, purpose, qualifier, raison d'etre, ranks,
reception, religious ceremony, resolution, resolve, responsibility,
rite, rite de passage, rite of passage, ritual, ritual observance,
rituality, role, run, sacrament, sacramental, sake, serve, service,
shallow structure, slot, slot and filler, solemnity, solemnization,
strata, striving, structure, study, subject, surface structure,
swing, syntactic analysis, syntactic structure, syntactics, syntax,
tagmeme, take effect, target, task, thing, tick, ultimate purpose,
underlying structure, undertaking, use, view, will,
word arrangement, word order, work, work as, working, workings
From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (30 December 2018) :
function
mapping
1. (Or "map", "mapping") If D and C are sets
(the domain and codomain) then a function f from D to C,
normally written "f : D -> C" is a subset of D x C such that:
1. For each d in D there exists some c in C such that (d,c) is
an element of f. I.e. the function is defined for every
element of D.
2. For each d in D, c1 and c2 in C, if both (d,c1) and (d,c2)
are elements of f then c1 = c2. I.e. the function is uniquely
defined for every element of D.
See also image, inverse, partial function.
2. Computing usage derives from the mathematical
term but is much less strict. In programming (except in
functional programming), a function may return different
values each time it is called with the same argument values
and may have side effects.
A procedure is a function which returns no value but has
only side-effects. The C language, for example, has no
procedures, only functions. ANSI C even defines a type,
void, for the result of a function that has no result.
(1996-09-01)
From Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856) :
FUNCTION, office. Properly, the occupation of an office; by the performance of its duties, the officer is said to fill his function. Dig. lib. 32, 1. 65, Sec. 1.