[for.mu.la] n, pl -las or -lae [L, dim. of forma form] (1618) 1 a: a set form of words for use in a ceremony or ritual b: a conventionalized statement intended to express some fundamental truth or principle esp. as a basis for negotiation or action
2. a (1): recipe (2): prescription b: a milk mixture or substitute for feeding an infant 3 a: a general fact, rule, or principle expressed in usu. mathematical symbols b: a symbolic expression of the chemical composition or constitution of a substance c: a group of symbols (as letters and numbers) associated to express concisely facts or data (as the number and kinds of teeth in the jaw) d: a combination of signs in a logical calculus
4: a customary or set form or method allowing little room for originality -- for.mu.la.ic adj -- for.mu.la.ical.ly adv
[2]formula adj (1927): of, relating to, or being an open-wheel open-cockpit rear-engine racing car conforming to prescribed specifications as to size, weight, and engine displacement