n.
Pronunciation: ' fak-t ə r
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French facteur, from Latin factor doer, from facere
Date: 15th century
1 : one who acts or transacts business for another: as a : BROKER 1B b : one that lends money to producers and dealers (as on the security of accounts receivable)
2 a (1) : one that actively contributes to the production of a result : INGREDIENT <price wasn't a factor in the decision> (2) : a substance that functions in or promotes the function of a particular physiological process or bodily system b : a good or service used in the process of production
3 : GENE
4 a : any of the numbers or symbols in mathematics that when multiplied together form a product also : a number or symbol that divides another number or symbol b : a quantity by which a given quantity is multiplied or divided in order to indicate a difference in measurement <costs increased by a factor of 10>
– fac · tor · ship \ - ˌ ship \ noun