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 production3: gene4 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