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formula

 - 6 dictionary results

for⋅mu⋅la

[fawr-myuh-luh]
–noun, plural -las, -lae [-lee] .
1. a set form of words, as for stating or declaring something definitely or authoritatively, for indicating procedure to be followed, or for prescribed use on some ceremonial occasion.
2. any fixed or conventional method for doing something: His mystery stories were written according to a popular formula.
3. Mathematics.
a. a rule or principle, frequently expressed in algebraic symbols.
b. such a symbolic expression.
4. Chemistry. an expression of the constituents of a compound by symbols and figures. Compare empirical formula, molecular formula, structural formula.
5. a recipe or prescription: a new formula for currant wine.
6. a special nutritive mixture, esp. of milk, sugar, and water, in prescribed proportions for feeding a baby.
7. a formal statement of religious doctrine.
8. (initial capital letter) a set of specifications as to weight, engine displacement, fuel capacity, etc., for defining a class of racing cars (usually followed by a limiting numerical designation): Some races are open to Formula One cars.

Origin:
1575–85; < L: register, form, rule. See form, -ule
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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for·mu·la   (fôr'myə-lə)   
n.   pl. for·mu·las or for·mu·lae (-lē')
    1. An established form of words or symbols for use in a ceremony or procedure.

    2. An utterance of conventional notions or beliefs; a hackneyed expression.

    3. A symbolic representation of the composition or of the composition and structure of a compound.

    4. The compound so represented.

    5. A prescription of ingredients in fixed proportion; a recipe.

    6. A liquid food for infants, containing most of the nutrients in human milk.

  1. A method of doing or treating something that relies on an established, uncontroversial model or approach: a new situation comedy that simply uses an old formula.

  2. Chemistry

    1. A symbolic representation of the composition or of the composition and structure of a compound.

    2. The compound so represented.

    3. A prescription of ingredients in fixed proportion; a recipe.

    4. A liquid food for infants, containing most of the nutrients in human milk.

    1. A prescription of ingredients in fixed proportion; a recipe.

    2. A liquid food for infants, containing most of the nutrients in human milk.

  3. Mathematics A statement, especially an equation, of a fact, rule, principle, or other logical relation.

  4. Formula Sports A set of specifications, including engine displacement, fuel capacity, and weight, that determine a class of racing car.


[Latin fōrmula, diminutive of fōrma, form.]
for'mu·la'ic (-lā'ĭk) adj., for'mu·la'i·cal·ly adv.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

formula 
1638, from L. formula "form, rule, method, formula," lit. "small form," dim. of forma "form." Originally, "words used in a ceremony or ritual." Modern sense is colored by Carlyle's use of the word for "rule slavishly followed without understanding" (1837). Formulaic is from 1882; formulate is 1860.
"Men who try to speak what they believe, are naked men fighting men quilted sevenfold in formulae." [Charles Kingsley, "Letters," 1861]
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: for·mu·la
Pronunciation: 'for-my&-l&
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural for·mu·las or for·mu·lae /-"lE, -"lI/
1 a : a recipe or prescription giving method and proportions of ingredients for the preparation of some material (as amedicine) b : a milk mixture or substitute for feeding an infant typically consisting of prescribed proportions and forms of cow's milk, water, and sugar; also : abatch of this made up at one time to meet an infant's future requirements (as during a 24-hour period)
2 : a symbolic expression showing the composition or constitution of achemical substance and consisting of symbols for the elements present and subscripts to indicate the relative or total number of atoms present in a molecule formulas for water,sulfuric acid, and ethyl alcohol are H2O, H2SO4, and C2H5OH respectively> —see EMPIRICAL FORMULA, MOLECULAR FORMULA, STRUCTURAL FORMULA
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

formula for·mu·la (fôr'myə-lə)
n. pl. for·mu·las or for·mu·lae (-lē')

  1. A symbolic representation of the chemical composition or of the chemical composition and structure of a compound.

  2. The chemical compound so represented.

  3. A prescription of ingredients in fixed proportion; a recipe.

  4. A liquid food for infants, containing most of the nutrients in human milk.

  5. A mathematical statement, especially an equation, of a fact, rule, principle, or other logical relation.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Computing Dictionary

formula
1. In logic, a sequence of symbols representing terms, predicates, connectives and quantifiers which is either true or false.
2. FORTH Music Language. An extension of FORTH with concurrent note-playing processes. Runs on Macintosh and Atari ST with MIDI output.
["Formula: A Programming Language for Expressive Computer Music", D.P. Anderson et al Computer 24(7):12 (Jul 1991)].
3. Preprocessor language for the Acorn Archimedes, allowing inline high-level statements to be entered in an assembly program. Written in nawk.

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing, © 1993-2007 Denis Howe
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