[mul.ti.pli.ca.tion] n [ME multiplicacioun, fr. MF multiplication, fr. L multiplication-, multiplicatio, fr. multiplicare to multiply] (14c) 1: the act or process of multiplying: the state of being multiplied
2. a: a mathematical operation that at its simplest is an abbreviated process of adding an integer to itself a specified number of times and that is extended to other numbers in accordance with laws that are valid for integers b: any of various mathematical operations that are analogous in some way to multiplication of the real numbers but are defined for other or larger sets of elements (as complex numbers, vectors, matrices, or functions)