*unction*

n. [ OF. compunction, F. componction, L. compunctio, fr. compungere, compunctum, to prick; com- + pungere to prick, sting. See Pungent. ] 1. A pricking; stimulation. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

That acid and piercing spirit which, with such activity and compunction, invadeth the brains and nostrils. Sir T. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A picking of heart; poignant grief proceeding from a sense of guilt or consciousness of causing pain; the sting of conscience. [ 1913 Webster ]

He acknowledged his disloyalty to the king, with expressions of great compunction. Clarendon.

Syn. -- Compunction, Remorse, Contrition. Remorse is anguish of soul under a sense of guilt or consciousness of having offended God or brought evil upon one's self or others. Compunction is the pain occasioned by a wounded and awakened conscience. Neither of them implies true contrition, which denotes self-condemnation, humiliation, and repentance. We speak of the gnawings of remorse; of compunction for a specific act of transgression; of deep contrition in view of our past lives. See Regret. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Without compunction. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. conjunctio: cf. F. conjunction. See Conjoin. ] 1. The act of conjoining, or the state of being conjoined, united, or associated; union; association; league. [ 1913 Webster ]

He will unite the white rose and the red:
Smille heaven upon his fair conjunction. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Man can effect no great matter by his personal strength but as he acts in society and conjunction with others. South. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Astron.) The meeting of two or more stars or planets in the same degree of the zodiac; as, the conjunction of the moon with the sun, or of Jupiter and Saturn. See the Note under Aspect, n., 6. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Heavenly bodies are said to be in conjunction when they are seen in the same part of the heavens, or have the same longitude or right ascension. The inferior conjunction of an inferior planet is its position when in conjunction on the same side of the sun with the earth; the superior conjunction of a planet is its position when on the side of the sun most distant from the earth. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Gram.) A connective or connecting word; an indeclinable word which serves to join together sentences, clauses of a sentence, or words; as, and, but, if. [ 1913 Webster ]

Though all conjunctions conjoin sentences, yet, with respect to the sense, some are conjunctive and some disjunctive. Harris. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Relating to a conjunction. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. defunctio performance, death. ] Death. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

After defunction of King Pharamond. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. disjunctio. ] 1. The act of disjoining; disunion; separation; a parting; as, the disjunction of soul and body. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A disjunctive proposition. Coleridge. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. impaired in function; especially of a bodily system or organ. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. (Psychol.) failing to serve an adjustive purpose; -- of a trait or condition; as, dysfunctional behavior.
Syn. -- nonadaptive. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ L. expunctio execution, performance, from expungere. See Expunge. ] The act of expunging or erasing; the condition of being expunged. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. functio, fr. fungi to perform, execute, akin to Skr. bhuj to enjoy, have the use of: cf. F. fonction. Cf. Defunct. ] 1. The act of executing or performing any duty, office, or calling; performance. “In the function of his public calling.” Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Physiol.) The appropriate action of any special organ or part of an animal or vegetable organism; as, the function of the heart or the limbs; the function of leaves, sap, roots, etc.; life is the sum of the functions of the various organs and parts of the body. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The natural or assigned action of any power or faculty, as of the soul, or of the intellect; the exertion of an energy of some determinate kind. [ 1913 Webster ]

As the mind opens, and its functions spread. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. The course of action which peculiarly pertains to any public officer in church or state; the activity appropriate to any business or profession. [ 1913 Webster ]

Tradesmen . . . going about their functions. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

The malady which made him incapable of performing his
regal functions. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Math.) A quantity so connected with another quantity, that if any alteration be made in the latter there will be a consequent alteration in the former. Each quantity is said to be a function of the other. Thus, the circumference of a circle is a function of the diameter. If x be a symbol to which different numerical values can be assigned, such expressions as x2, 3x, Log. x, and Sin. x, are all functions of x. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (Eccl.) A religious ceremony, esp. one particularly impressive and elaborate.

Every solemn ‘function' performed with the requirements of the liturgy. Card. Wiseman. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

7. A public or social ceremony or gathering; a festivity or entertainment, esp. one somewhat formal.

This function, which is our chief social event. W. D. Howells. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

Algebraic function, a quantity whose connection with the variable is expressed by an equation that involves only the algebraic operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, raising to a given power, and extracting a given root; -- opposed to transcendental function. --
Arbitrary function. See under Arbitrary. --
Calculus of functions. See under Calculus. --
Carnot's function (Thermo-dynamics), a relation between the amount of heat given off by a source of heat, and the work which can be done by it. It is approximately equal to the mechanical equivalent of the thermal unit divided by the number expressing the temperature in degrees of the air thermometer, reckoned from its zero of expansion. --
Circular functions. See Inverse trigonometrical functions (below). -- Continuous function, a quantity that has no interruption in the continuity of its real values, as the variable changes between any specified limits. --
Discontinuous function. See under Discontinuous. --
Elliptic functions, a large and important class of functions, so called because one of the forms expresses the relation of the arc of an ellipse to the straight lines connected therewith. --
Explicit function, a quantity directly expressed in terms of the independently varying quantity; thus, in the equations y = 6x2, y = 10 -x3, the quantity y is an explicit function of x. --
Implicit function, a quantity whose relation to the variable is expressed indirectly by an equation; thus, y in the equation x2 + y2 = 100 is an implicit function of x. --
Inverse trigonometrical functions, or
Circular functions, the lengths of arcs relative to the sines, tangents, etc. Thus, AB is the arc whose sine is BD, and (if the length of BD is x) is written sin -1x, and so of the other lines. See Trigonometrical function (below). Other transcendental functions are the exponential functions, the elliptic functions, the gamma functions, the theta functions, etc. --
One-valued function, a quantity that has one, and only one, value for each value of the variable. --
Transcendental functions, a quantity whose connection with the variable cannot be expressed by algebraic operations; thus, y in the equation y = 10x is a transcendental function of x. See Algebraic function (above). --
Trigonometrical function, a quantity whose relation to the variable is the same as that of a certain straight line drawn in a circle whose radius is unity, to the length of a corresponding are of the circle. Let AB be an arc in a circle, whose radius OA is unity let AC be a quadrant, and let OC, DB, and AF be drawnpependicular to OA, and EB and CG parallel to OA, and let OB be produced to G and F. E Then BD is the sine of the arc AB; OD or EB is the cosine, AF is the tangent, CG is the cotangent, OF is the secant OG is the cosecant, AD is the versed sine, and CE is the coversed sine of the are AB. If the length of AB be represented by x (OA being unity) then the lengths of Functions. these lines (OA being unity) are the trigonometrical functions of x, and are written sin x, cos x, tan x (or tang x), cot x, sec x, cosec x, versin x, coversin x. These quantities are also considered as functions of the angle BOA.

a. 1. Pertaining to, or connected with, a function or duty; official. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Pathology, Physiol.) Pertaining to the function of an organ or part, or to the functions in general; involving or affecting function rather than physiology; as, functional deafness; a functional disease. See functional disease, below. [ wns=2 ] [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Designed for or capable of a particular function or use; as, a style of writing in which every word is functional; functional architecture. [ wns=1 ] [ WordNet 1.6 ]

4. Fit or ready for use or service; useable; in working order; as, the toaster was still functional even after being dropped; the lawnmower is a bit rusty but still functional. Antonym of out of order and nonfunctional. [ wns=4 & 6 ]
Syn. -- usable, useable, in working order(predicate), operable, operational, running(prenominal), operative. [ WordNet 1.6 ]

5. Designed to emphasize practical utility rather than artistic or aesthetic purposes; as, functional education selects knowledge that is concrete and usable rather than abstract and theoretical; functional architecture; an amateurish device, crude but functional. [ WordNet 1.6 ]

Functional disease (Med.), a disease of which the symptoms cannot be referred to any appreciable lesion or change of structure; the derangement of an organ arising from a cause, often unknown, external to itself opposed to organic disease, in which the organ itself is affected. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. a psychology based on the assumption that all mental process are useful to an organism in adapting to the environment. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. any doctrine that stresses utility or purpose. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. an adherent of functionalism. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

v. t. To assign to some function or office. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a functional manner; as regards normal or appropriate activity. [ 1913 Webster ]

The organ is said to be functionally disordered. Lawrence. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Functionaries [ Cf. F. fonctionnaire. ] One charged with the performance of a function or office; as, a public functionary; secular functionaries. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } v. i. To execute or perform a function; to transact one's regular or appointed business. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Destitute of function, or of an appropriate organ. Darwin. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. injunctio, fr. injungere, injunctum, to join into, to enjoin. See Enjoin. ] 1. The act of enjoining; the act of directing, commanding, or prohibiting. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. That which is enjoined; an order; a mandate; a decree; a command; a precept; a direction. [ 1913 Webster ]

For still they knew, and ought to have still remembered,
The high injunction, not to taste that fruit. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

Necessary as the injunctions of lawful authority. South. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Law) A writ or process, granted by a court of equity, and, in some cases, under statutes, by a court of law, whereby a party is required to do or to refrain from doing certain acts, according to the exigency of the writ. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ It is more generally used as a preventive than as a restorative process, although by no means confined to the former. Wharton. Daniell. Story. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. interjunctus, p. p. of interjungere to join together. See Inter-, and Join, and cf. Interjoin. ] A mutual joining. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. interpunctio, fr. interpungere, interppunctum, to interpoint. See Inter-, and Point. ] The insertion of points between words or sentences; punctuation. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. inunctio, fr. inungere, inunctum, to anoint. See 1st In-, and Unction. ] The act of anointing, or the state of being anointed; unction; specifically (Med.), the rubbing of ointments into the pores of the skin, by which medicinal agents contained in them, such as mercury, iodide of potash, etc., are absorbed. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. junctio, fr. jungere, junctum, to join: cf. F. jonction. See Join. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. The act of joining, or the state of being joined; union; combination; coalition; as, the junction of two armies or detachments; the junction of paths. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The place or point of union, meeting, or junction; specifically, the place where two or more lines of railway meet or cross. [ 1913 Webster ]

Junction plate (Boilers), a covering or break-join plate riveted to and uniting the edges of sheets which make a butt joint. --
Junction rails (Railroads), the switch, or movable, rails, connecting one line of track with another. [ 1913 Webster ]

. (Elec.) A box through which the main conductors of a system of electric distribution pass, and where connection is made with branch circuits. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

adj. 1. Not having or performing a function. [ Narrower terms: cosmetic, decorative, ornamental ] Also See: unserviceable. functional [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. Not performing or able to perform its regular function; as, the yard was littered with nonfunctional vehicles waiting to be repaired. [ Narrower terms: down(predicate) ]. Antonym: functioning.
Syn. -- malfunctioning, unserviceable, out of order. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ L. punctio, fr. pungere, punctum, to prick: cf. F. ponction. Cf. Puncheon. ] A puncturing, or pricking; a puncture. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. sejunctio. See Sejoin. ] The act of disjoining, or the state of being disjoined. [ Obs. ] Bp. Pearson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Subjunctive. ] 1. Act of subjoining, or state of being subjoined. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Something subjoined; as, a subjunction to a sentence. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Elec.) A junction of two dissimilar conductors used to produce a thermoelectric current, as in one form of pyrometer; a thermocouple. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]