Main Entry: for·mu·la

Pronunciation: \ˈfȯr-myə-lə\

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural for·mu·las or for·mu·lae \-ˌlē, -ˌlī\

1 a : a recipe or prescription giving method and proportions of ingredients for the preparation of some material (as a medicine) b : a milk mixture or substitute for feeding an infant typically consisting of prescribed proportions and forms of cow's milk, water, and sugar ; also : a batch of this made up at one time to meet an infant's future requirements (as during a 24-hour period)
2 : a symbolic expression showing the composition or constitution of a chemical substance and consisting of symbols for the elements present and subscripts to indicate the relative or total number of atoms present in a molecule <the formula for ethyl alcohol is C₂H₅OH>—see empirical formula, molecular formula, structural formula