operation

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   the activity of operating something such as a machine or business

   The smooth operation of the vehicle gave us a surprisingly comfortable ride.

2. 2
   noun

   a planned activity involving many people performing various actions

   they organized a rescue operation

3. 3
   noun

   a process or series of acts especially of a practical or mechanical nature involved in a particular form of work

   the operations in building a house

4. 4
   noun

   activity by a military or naval force (as a maneuver or campaign)

   it was a joint operation of the navy and air force

5. 5
   noun

   a business especially one run on a large scale

   a large-scale farming operation

6. 6
   noun

   (psychology) the performance of some composite cognitive activity

   an operation that affects mental contents

7. 7
   noun

   (computer science) data processing in which the result is completely specified by a rule (especially the processing that results from a single instruction)

   it can perform millions of operations per second

8. 8
   noun

   process or manner of functioning or operating

   the power of its engine determines its operation

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₃ep- Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *h₃épos Proto-Italic *opos Latin opus Latin opera Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂tos Proto-Italic *-ātos Latin -ātus Latin operātus Latin operor Proto-Indo-European *-tisder. Proto-Italic *-tjō Latin -tiō Latin operātiōder. Old French operacionbor. Middle English operacioun English operation From Middle English operacioun, from Old French operacion, from Latin operātiō, from the verb operor (“to work”), from opus, operis (“work”). Equival…