1350–1400;Middle Englishcombinacyoun (< Middle French) < Late Latincombīnātiōn- (stem of combīnātiō), equivalent to combīnāt(us) combined (see combine, -ate1) + -iōn--ion
Related formscom·bi·na·tion·al, adjectivein·ter·com·bi·na·tion, nounnon·com·bi·na·tion, nounpre·com·bi·na·tion, nounsu·per·com·bi·na·tion, nounun·com·bi·na·tion·al, adjective
an alliance of people or parties; group having a common purpose
the set of numbers that opens a combination lock
the mechanism of this type of lock
Britisha motorcycle with a sidecar attached
maths
an arrangement of the numbers, terms, etc, of a set into specified groups without regard to order in the groupthe combinations of a, b, and c, taken two at a time, are ab, bc, ac
a group formed in this way. The number of combinations of n objects taken r at a time is n !/[(n – r)! r !]. Symbol: n C rCompare permutation (def. 1)
the chemical reaction of two or more compounds, usually to form one other compound
chessa tactical manoeuvre involving a sequence of moves and more than one piece
late 14c., combinacyoun, from Old French combination (14c., Modern French combinaison), from Late Latin combinationem (nominative combinatio) "a joining two by two," noun of action from past participle stem of combinare (see combine (v.)).
