func·tion
ˈfəŋ(k)-shən
1
: professional or official position : occupation
His job combines the functions of a manager and a worker.
2
: the action for which a person or thing is specially fitted or used or for which a thing exists : purpose
3
: any of a group of related actions contributing to a larger action
especially
: the normal and specific contribution of a bodily part to the economy of a living organism
The function of the heart is to pump blood through the body.
4
: an official or formal ceremony or social gathering
They went to several functions during their college reunion weekend.
5
a
: a mathematical correspondence that assigns exactly one element of one set to each element of the same or another set
b
: a variable (such as a quality, trait, or measurement) that depends on and varies with another
height is a function of age
6
: characteristic behavior of a chemical compound due to a particular reactive unit
also
: functional group
7
: a computer subroutine
specifically
: one that performs a calculation with variables (see variable entry 2 sense 1a) provided by a program and supplies the program with a single result
functioned; functioning
ˈfəŋ(k)-sh(ə-)niŋ
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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