Word Meanings - FUNCTION - Book Publishers vocabulary database

The appropriate action of any special organ or part of an animal or vegetable organism; as, the function of the heart or the limbs; the function of leaves, sap, roots, etc.; life is the sum of the functions of the various organs and parts of the

Additional info about word: FUNCTION

The appropriate action of any special organ or part of an animal or vegetable organism; as, the function of the heart or the limbs; the function of leaves, sap, roots, etc.; life is the sum of the functions of the various organs and parts of the body. 3. The natural or assigned action of any power or faculty, as of the soul, or of the intellect; the exertion of an energy of some determinate kind. As the mind opens, and its functions spread. Pope. 4. The course of action which peculiarly pertains to any public officer in church or state; the activity appropriate to any business or profession. Tradesmen . . . going about their functions. Shak. The malady which made him incapable of performing his regal functions. Macaulay. (more info) to Skr. bhuj to enjoy, have the use of: cf. F. fonction. Cf. 1. The act of executing or performing any duty, office, or calling; per formance. "In the function of his public calling." Swift.

Possible synonyms: (Same meaning words of FUNCTION)

• Department
• Section
• division
• portion
• function
• office
• branch
• province
• line
• Duty
• Obligation
• part
• business
• responsibility
• allegiance
• once
• calling
• trust
• commission
• service
• Office
• Service
• duty
• appointment
• employment
• station
• business post
• Solemnity
• Celebration
• rite
• ceremony
• pomp
• parade
• seriousness
• pomposity
• gravity
• sacredness
• awe
• sanctity
• impressiveness
• imposingness
• Task
• Work
• labor
• job
• operation
• undertaking
• drudgery
• toil
• lesson

Related words: (words related to FUNCTION)

• CALLOSUM
  The great band commissural fibers which unites the two cerebral hemispheres. See corpus callosum, under Carpus.
• CALLOW
  1. Destitute of feathers; naked; unfledged. An in the leafy summit, spied a nest, Which, o'er the callow young, a sparrow pressed. Dryden. 2. Immature; boyish; "green"; as, a callow youth. I perceive by this, thou art but a callow maid. Old Play .
• CALLE
  A kind of head covering; a caul. Chaucer.
• TRUSTEE
  A person to whom property is legally committed in trust, to be applied either for the benefit of specified individuals, or for public uses; one who is intrusted with property for the benefit of another; also, a person in whose hands the effects
• TRUSTY
  1. Admitting of being safely trusted; justly deserving confidence; fit to be confided in; trustworthy; reliable. Your trusty and most valiant servitor. Shak. 2. Hence, not liable to fail; strong; firm. His trusty sword he called to his
• LABOR-SAVING
  Saving labor; adapted to supersede or diminish the labor of men; as, laborsaving machinery.
• BRANCHIOSTOMA
  The lancelet. See Amphioxus.
• LABORIOUS
  1. Requiring labor, perseverance, or sacrifices; toilsome; tiresome. Dost thou love watchings, abstinence, or toil, Laborious virtues all Learn these from Cato. Addison. 2. Devoted to labor; diligent; industrious; as, a laborious mechanic.
• STATIONARINESS
  The quality or state of being stationary; fixity.
• BUSINESS
  The position, distribution, and order of persons and properties on the stage of a theater, as determined by the stage manager in rehearsal. 7. Care; anxiety; diligence. Chaucer. To do one's business, to ruin one. Wycherley. -- To make one's
• SECTIONALITY
  The state or quality of being sectional; sectionalism.
• LABORED
  Bearing marks of labor and effort; elaborately wrought; not easy or natural; as, labored poetry; a labored style.
• LABOROUS
  Laborious. Wyatt. -- La"bor*ous*ly, adv. Sir T. Elyot.
• LABOR
  The pitching or tossing of a vessel which results in the straining of timbers and rigging. 7. Etym: (more info) 1. Physical toil or bodily exertion, especially when fatiguing, irksome, or unavoidable, in distinction from sportive exercise; hard,
• OFFICEHOLDER
  An officer, particularly one in the civil service; a placeman.
• TRUST COMPANY
  Any corporation formed for the purpose of acting as trustee. Such companies usually do more or less of a banking business.
• PORTIONIST
  One of the incumbents of a benefice which has two or more rectors or vicars. (more info) 1. A scholar at Merton College, Oxford, who has a certain academical allowance or portion; -- corrupted into postmaster. Shipley.
• DIVISIONARY
  Divisional.
• SECTIONALIZE
  To divide according to gepgraphical sections or local interests. The principal results of the struggle were to sectionalize parties. Nicilay & Hay .
• BRANCHLESS
  Destitude of branches or shoots; without any valuable product; barren; naked.
• DISPROPORTIONALLY
  In a disproportional manner; unsuitably in form, quantity, or value; unequally.
• UNEMPLOYMENT
  Quality or state of being not employed; -- used esp. in economics, of the condition of various social classes when temporarily thrown out of employment, as those engaged for short periods, those whose trade is decaying, and those least competent.
• TECTIBRANCHIA
  See TECTIBRANCHIATA
• GYMNASTICALLY
  In a gymnastic manner.
• NUDIBRANCHIATA
  A division of opisthobranchiate mollusks, having no shell except while very young. The gills are naked and situated upon the back or sides. See Ceratobranchia.
• ABRANCHIAL
  Abranchiate.
• IMPROPORTIONATE
  Not proportionate.
• HYPERCRITICALLY
  In a hypercritical manner.
• PYGOBRANCHIA
  A division of opisthobranchiate mollusks having the branchiæ in a wreath or group around the anal opening, as in the genus Doris.
• SCALLION
  A kind of small onion , native of Palestine; the eschalot, or shallot. 2. Any onion which does not "bottom out," but remains with a thick stem like a leek. Amer. Cyc.
• UNEMPIRICALLY
  Not empirically; without experiment or experience.
• POST OFFICE
  See POST
• MENOSTATION
  See MENOSTASIS
• WEATHER STATION
  A station for taking meteorological observations, making weather forecasts, or disseminating such information. Such stations are of the first order when they make observations of all the important elements either hourly or by self-registering
• UNIVOCALLY
  In a univocal manner; in one term; in one sense; not equivocally. How is sin univocally distinguished into venial and mortal, if the venial be not sin Bp. Hall.
• SELF-TRUST
  Faith in one's self; self-reliance.