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operation - 7 dictionary results

op⋅er⋅a⋅tion

[op-uh-rey-shuhn]
–noun
1. an act or instance, process, or manner of functioning or operating.
2. the state of being operative (usually prec. by in or into): a rule no longer in operation.
3. the power to act; efficacy, influence, or force.
4. the exertion of force, power, or influence; agency: the operation of alcohol on the mind.
5. a process of a practical or mechanical nature in some form of work or production: a delicate operation in watchmaking.
6. a course or procedure of productive or industrial activity: building operations.
7. a particular process or course: mental operations.
8. a business transaction, esp. one of a speculative nature; deal: a shady operation.
9. a business, esp. one run on a large scale: a multinational operation.
10. Surgery. a procedure aimed at restoring or improving the health of a patient, as by correcting a malformation, removing diseased parts, implanting new parts, etc.
11. Mathematics.
a. a mathematical process, as addition, multiplication, or differentiation.
b. the action of applying a mathematical process to a quantity or quantities.
12. Military.
a. a campaign, mission, maneuver, or action.
b. Usually, operations. the conduct of a campaign, mission, etc.
c. operations, a headquarters, office, or place from which a military campaign, air traffic to and from an airfield, or any of various other activities, is planned, conducted, and controlled.
d. operations, the people who work at such a headquarters.

Origin:
1350–1400; ME operacioun < L operātiōn- (s. of operātiō), equiv. to operāt(us) (see operate ) + -iōn- -ion
op·er·a·tion   (ŏp'ə-rā'shən)   
n.  
  1. The act or process of operating or functioning.
  2. The state of being operative or functional: a factory in operation.
  3. A process or series of acts involved in a particular form of work: the operation of building a house.
  4. An instance or method of efficient, productive activity: That restaurant is quite an operation.
  5. An unethical or illegal business: a fencing operation for stolen goods.
  6. Medicine A surgical procedure for remedying an injury, ailment, defect, or dysfunction.
  7. Mathematics A process or action, such as addition, substitution, transposition, or differentiation, performed in a specified sequence and in accordance with specific rules.
  8. A logical operation.
  9. Computer Science An action resulting from a single instruction.
    1. A military or naval action, campaign, or mission.
    2. operations The headquarters or center from which a military action, flights into and out of an airfield, or other activities are controlled.
  10. operations The division of an organization that carries out the major planning and operating functions.

Operation

Op`er*a"tion\, n. [L. operatio: cf. F. op['e]ration.]

1. The act or process of operating; agency; the exertion of power, physical, mechanical, or moral.

The pain and sickness caused by manna are the effects of its operation on the stomach. --Locke.

Speculative painting, without the assistance of manual operation, can never attain to perfection. --Dryden.

2. The method of working; mode of action.

3. That which is operated or accomplished; an effect brought about in accordance with a definite plan; as, military or naval operations.

4. Effect produced; influence. [Obs.]

The bards . . . had great operation on the vulgar. --Fuller.

5. (Math.) Something to be done; some transformation to be made upon quantities, the transformation being indicated either by rules or symbols.

6. (Surg.) Any methodical action of the hand, or of the hand with instruments, on the human body, to produce a curative or remedial effect, as in amputation, etc.

Calculus of operations. See under Calculus.
Language Translation for : operation
Spanish: operación,
German: das Unternehmen,
Japanese: 作業

operation 
c.1386, "action, performance, work," also "the performance of some science or art," from O.Fr. operacion, from L. operationem (nom. operatio) "a working, operation," from operari "to work, labor" (in L.L. "to have effect, be active, cause"), from opera "work, effort," related to opus (gen. operis) "a work" (see opus). The surgical sense is first attested 1597. Military sense of "series of movements and acts" is from 1749. Operational attested from 1922.

Main Entry: op·er·a·tion
Pronunciation: "äp-&-'rA-sh&n
Function: noun
: a procedure performed on a living body usually withinstruments for the repair of damage or the restoration of health and especially one that involves incision, excision, or suturing

operation op·er·a·tion (ŏp'ə-rā'shən)
n.

  1. A surgical procedure, usually using instruments, for remedying an injury, an ailment, a defect, or a dysfunction.
  2. The act, manner, or process of functioning.

operation   (ŏp'ə-rā'shən)  Pronunciation Key 
  1. Medicine A surgical procedure for remedying an injury, ailment, defect, or dysfunction.
  2. Mathematics A process or action, such as addition, substitution, transposition, or differentiation, performed in a specified sequence and in accordance with specific rules.
  3. A logical operation.
  4. Computer Science An action resulting from a single instruction.

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