the act of executing or performing any duty, office, or calling; per formance.-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.-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.-the course of action which peculiarly pertains to any public officer in church or state; the activity appropriate to any business or profession.-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.-alt. of functionate