operation
an act or instance, process, or manner of functioning or operating.
the state of being operative (usually preceded by in or into): a rule no longer in operation.
the power to act; efficacy, influence, or force.
the exertion of force, power, or influence; agency: the operation of alcohol on the mind.
a process of a practical or mechanical nature in some form of work or production: a delicate operation in watchmaking.
a course or procedure of productive or industrial activity: building operations.
a particular process or course: mental operations.
a business transaction, especially one of a speculative nature; deal: a shady operation.
a business, especially one run on a large scale: a multinational operation.
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.
Mathematics.
a mathematical process, as addition, multiplication, or differentiation.
the action of applying a mathematical process to a quantity or quantities.
Computers. any discrete activity or action that is performed by a computer, as reading, writing, processing, sending, or receiving data: The http request operation has timed out.
Military.
a campaign, mission, maneuver, or action.
Usually operations . the conduct of a campaign, mission, etc.
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.
operations, the people who work at such a headquarters.
Origin of operation
1Other words from operation
- mis·op·er·a·tion, noun
- pre·op·er·a·tion, noun
- re·op·er·a·tion, noun
- sub·op·er·a·tion, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
British Dictionary definitions for operation
/ (ˌɒpəˈreɪʃən) /
the act, process, or manner of operating
the state of being in effect, in action, or operative (esp in the phrases in or into operation)
a process, method, or series of acts, esp of a practical or mechanical nature
surgery any manipulation of the body or one of its organs or parts to repair damage, arrest the progress of a disease, remove foreign matter, etc
a military or naval action, such as a campaign, manoeuvre, etc
(capital and prenominal when part of a name): Operation Crossbow
maths
any procedure, such as addition, multiplication, involution, or differentiation, in which one or more numbers or quantities are operated upon according to specific rules
a function from a set onto itself
a commercial or financial transaction
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for operation
[ ŏp′ə-rā′shən ]
Medicine A surgical procedure for remedying an injury, ailment, defect, or dysfunction.
Mathematics A process or action, such as addition, substitution, transposition, or differentiation, performed in a specified sequence and in accordance with specific rules.
A logical operation.
Computer Science An action resulting from a single instruction.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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