2  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Operation  \Op`er*a"tion\,  n.  [L.  operatio:  cf  F.  op['e]ration.] 
  1.  The  act  or  process  of  operating;  agency;  the  exertion  of 
  power,  physical,  mechanical,  or  moral. 
 
  The  pain  and  sickness  caused  by  manna  are  the 
  effects  of  its  operation  on  the  stomach.  --Locke. 
 
  Speculative  painting,  without  the  assistance  of 
  manual  operation,  can  never  attain  to  perfection. 
  --Dryden. 
 
  2.  The  method  of  working;  mode  of  action 
 
  3.  That  which  is  operated  or  accomplished;  an  effect  brought 
  about  in  accordance  with  a  definite  plan  as  military  or 
  naval  operations. 
 
  4.  Effect  produced;  influence.  [Obs.] 
 
  The  bards  .  .  .  had  great  operation  on  the  vulgar. 
  --Fuller. 
 
  5.  (Math.)  Something  to  be  done  some  transformation  to  be 
  made  upon  quantities,  the  transformation  being  indicated 
  either  by  rules  or  symbols. 
 
  6.  (Surg.)  Any  methodical  action  of  the  hand,  or  of  the  hand 
  with  instruments,  on  the  human  body,  to  produce  a  curative 
  or  remedial  effect,  as  in  amputation,  etc 
 
  {Calculus  of  operations}.  See  under  {Calculus}. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  operation 
  n  1:  the  state  of  being  in  effect  or  being  operative;  "that  rule 
  is  no  longer  in  operation" 
  2:  a  business  especially  one  run  on  a  large  scale:  "a 
  large-scale  farming  operation";  "a  multinational 
  operation";  they  paid  taxes  on  every  stage  of  the 
  operation";  "they  had  to  consolidate  their  operations" 
  3:  an  act  or  process  or  manner  of  functioning  or  operating: 
  "the  power  of  its  engine  determines  its  operation":  "the 
  plane's  performance  in  high  winds"  [syn:  {functioning},  {performance}] 
  4:  a  planned  activity  involving  many  people  performing  various 
  actions:  "the  biggest  police  operation  in  French  history"; 
  "running  a  restaurant  is  quite  an  operation";  "consolidate 
  the  companies  various  operations" 
  5:  (computer  science)  data  processing  in  which  the  result  is 
  completely  specified  by  a  rule  (especially  the  processing 
  that  results  from  a  single  instruction);  "it  can  perform 
  millions  of  operations  per  second" 
  6:  a  military  or  naval  action  (as  a  maneuver  or  campaign);  "it 
  was  a  joint  operation  of  the  navy  and  air  force" 
  7:  a  therapeutic  procedure  with  instruments  to  repair  damage  or 
  arrest  disease  in  a  living  body;  "they  will  schedule  the 
  operation  as  soon  as  an  operating  room  is  available";  "he 
  died  while  undergoing  surgery"  [syn:  {surgical  operation}, 
  {surgical  procedure},  {surgery}] 
  8:  a  process  or  series  of  acts  especially  of  a  practical  or 
  mechanical  nature  involved  in  a  particular  form  of  work: 
  "the  operations  in  building  a  house";  "certain  machine 
  tool  operations"  [syn:  {procedure}] 
  9:  the  performance  of  some  composite  cognitive  activity;  an 
  operation  that  affects  mental  contents;  "the  process  of 
  thinking";  "the  act  of  remembering"  [syn:  {process},  {cognitive 
  process},  {cognitive  operation},  {act}] 
  10:  calculation  by  mathematical  methods;  "the  problems  at  the 
  end  of  the  chapter  demonstrated  the  mathematical 
  processes  involved  in  the  derivation";  "they  were 
  learning  the  basic  operations  of  arithmetic"  [syn:  {mathematical 
  process},  {mathematical  operation}] 

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