Main Entry: ¹fac·tor

Pronunciation: \ˈfak-tər\

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French facteur, from Latin factor doer, from facere

Date: 15th century

1 : one who acts or transacts business for another: as a : broker 1b b : one that lends money to producers and dealers (as on the security of accounts receivable)
2 a (1) : one that actively contributes to the production of a result : ingredient <price wasn't a factor in the decision> (2) : a substance that functions in or promotes the function of a particular physiological process or bodily system b : a good or service used in the process of production
3 : gene
4 a : any of the numbers or symbols in mathematics that when multiplied together form a product; also : a number or symbol that divides another number or symbol b : a quantity by which a given quantity is multiplied or divided in order to indicate a difference in measurement <costs increased by a factor of 10>

— fac·tor·ship \-ˌship\ noun