function

noun

1. What something does or is used for.

   “Many genes with reproductive roles also have antibacterial and immune functions, which indicate that the threat of microbial attack on the sperm or egg may be a major influence on rapid evolution during reproduction.”

   “Glu Mobile, who realigned its workforce towards centralized GaaS functions last year, announced earlier this month that it will shut down GameSpy Technology on May 31. The service provides multiplayer functionality for dozens of games on consoles, computers and mobile devices.”

2. A professional or official position.
3. An official or social occasion.

   “Our hotel is hosting a function for all the warehouse workers on the night of April 18.”

4. (slang)An official or social occasion.
5. Something which is dependent on or stems from another thing; a result or concomitant.

   “Though most of the cases here cover European encounters with non-Europeans, it is not the intention of the book to give the impression that genocide is a function of European colonialism and imperialism alone.”

6. A relation where one thing is dependent on another for its existence, value, or significance.
7. A relation in which each element of the domain is associated with exactly one element of the codomain.
8. A routine that receives zero or more arguments and may return a result.
9. The physiological activity of an organ or body part.
10. The characteristic behavior of a chemical compound.
11. The role of a social practice in the continued existence of the group.

verb

1. (intransitive)To have a function.
2. (intransitive)To carry out a function; to be in action.

   “Although the laying workers functioned in a queenlike manner, they were unable to suppress ovarian development as effectively as the queen.”