Main Entry: re·cur·sion

Pronunciation: \ri-ˈkər-zhən\

Function: noun

Etymology: Late Latin recursion-, recursio, from recurrere

Date: 1616

1 : return 1
2 : the determination of a succession of elements (as numbers or functions) by operation on one or more preceding elements according to a rule or formula involving a finite number of steps
3 : a computer programming technique involving the use of a procedure, subroutine, function, or algorithm that calls itself one or more times until a specified condition is met at which time the rest of each repetition is processed from the last one called to the first — compare iteration