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Webster 1913 Edition

Operation

Opˊer-a′tion

,
Noun.
[L.
operatio
: cf. F.
opération
.]
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 or mathematical objects, 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
.

Webster 1828 Edition

Operation

OPERA'TION

,
Noun.
[L. operatio.]
1.
The act or process of operating; agency; the exertion of power, physical, mechanical or moral.
Speculative painting without the assistance of manual operation, can never attain to perfection.
The pain and sickness caused by manna are the effects of its operation on the stomach.
So we speak of the operation of motives, reasons or arguments on the mind, the operation of causes, &c.
2.
Action; effect.
Many medicinal drugs of rare operation.
3.
Process; manipulation; series of acts in experiments; as in chimistry or metallurgy.
4.
In surgery, any methodical action of the hand, or of the hand with instruments, on the human body, with a view to heal a part diseased, fractured or dislocated, as in amputation, &c.
5.
Action or movements of an army or fleet; as military or naval operations.
6.
Movements of machinery.
7.
Movements of any physical body.

Definition 2024

Operation

Operation

See also: operation and opération

German

Noun

Operation f ‎(genitive Operation, plural Operationen)

  1. (surgery or military or mathematics or computing science) operation

Synonyms

Derived terms

operation

operation

See also: Operation and opération

English

Noun

operation ‎(plural operations)

  1. The method by which a device performs its function.
    It is dangerous to look at the beam of a laser while it is in operation.
  2. The method or practice by which actions are done.
  3. The act or process of operating; agency; the exertion of power, physical, mechanical, or moral.
    • John Locke
      The pain and sickness caused by manna are the effects of its operation on the stomach.
    • Dryden
      Speculative painting, without the assistance of manual operation, can never attain to perfection.
  4. A planned undertaking.
    The police ran an operation to get vagrants off the streets.
    The Katrina relief operation was considered botched.
  5. A business or organization.
    We run our operation from a storefront.
    They run a multinational produce-supply operation.
  6. (medicine) A surgical procedure.
    She had an operation to remove her appendix.
  7. (computing, logic, mathematics) a procedure for generating a value from one or more other values (the operands).
  8. (military) A military campaign (e.g. Operation Desert Storm)
  9. (obsolete) Effect produced; influence.
    • Fuller
      The bards […] had great operation on the vulgar.

Synonyms

Hyponyms

  • logical operation
  • short-circuit logical operation
  • (business or organization): mission operations

Derived terms

Translations

References

External links

  • operation in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
  • operation in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911

Anagrams

Middle French

Noun

operation f (plural operations)

  1. function; role
    • 1595, Michel de Montaigne, Essais:
      C'est tesmoignage de crudité et indigestion que de regorger la viande comme on l'a avallée. L'estomac n'a pas faict son operation, s'il n'a faict changer la façon et la forme a ce qu'on luy avoit donné à cuire.
      It's testament of rawness and indigestion when one regurgitates meat in the same state as one swallowed it. The stomach hasn't done its function if it hasn't change the shape and the form of what one has given it to cook.

Etymology

From Middle French operation, from Old French operacion, from Latin operātiō, from the verb operor ‎(“I work”), from opus, operis ‎(“work”).

Pronunciation

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