English dictionary



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English noun: operation

1. operation (state) the state of being in effect or being operative


SamplesThat rule is no longer in operation.


Broader (hypernym)action, activeness, activity


Narrower (hyponym)commission, idle, running

2. operation (act) a business especially one run on a large scale


SamplesA large-scale farming operation.
A multinational operation.
They paid taxes on every stage of the operation.
They had to consolidate their operations.


Broader (hypernym)business activity, commercial activity

3. operation (act) a planned activity involving many people performing various actions


SamplesThey organized a rescue operation.
The biggest police operation in French history.
Running a restaurant is quite an operation.
Consolidate the companies various operations.


Broader (hypernym)activity


Narrower (hyponym)rescue operation, undercover operation

4. operation (process) (computer science) data processing in which the result is completely specified by a rule (especially the processing that results from a single instruction)


SamplesIt can perform millions of operations per second.


Broader (hypernym)data processing


Narrower (hyponym)access, asynchronous operation, auxiliary operation, binary arithmetic operation, binary operation, boolean operation, computer operation, concurrent operation, consecutive operation, control function, control operation, dyadic operation, fixed-cycle operation, logic operation, logical operation, lookup, machine operation, memory access, monadic operation, multiplex operation, off-line operation, parallel operation, printing operation, search, sequential operation, serial operation, simultaneous operation, sort, sorting, synchronous operation, threshold operation, unary operation


Domain categorycomputer science, computing

5. operation (act) activity by a military or naval force (as a maneuver or campaign)


SamplesIt was a joint operation of the navy and air force.


Synonymsmilitary operation


Broader (hypernym)activity


Narrower (hyponym)amphibious operation, attack, campaign, combined operation, covert operation, information gathering, maneuver, manoeuvre, military campaign, military mission, mission, naval campaign, offence, offense, offensive, onrush, onset, onslaught, peacekeeping, peacekeeping mission, peacekeeping operation, psychological operation, psyop, reenforcement, reinforcement, simulated military operation, support


Instance hyponymArgonne, Argonne Forest, Meuse, Meuse River, Meuse-Argonne, Meuse-Argonne operation, Operation Desert Storm


Domain categoryarmed forces, armed services, military, military machine, war machine

6. operation (act) a medical procedure involving an incision with instruments; performed to repair damage or arrest disease in a living body


SamplesThey will schedule the operation as soon as an operating room is available.
He died while undergoing surgery.


Synonymssurgery, surgical operation, surgical procedure, surgical process


Broader (hypernym)medical procedure


Narrower (hyponym)ablation, amputation, anaplasty, angioplasty, arthroplasty, arthroscopy, brain surgery, castration, catheterisation, catheterization, cauterisation, cauterization, cautery, chemosurgery, craniotomy, cryosurgery, curettage, curettement, cutting out, D and C, debridement, decortication, dilatation and curettage, dilation and curettage, electrosurgery, enterostomy, enterotomy, enucleation, evisceration, excision, exenteration, extirpation, eye operation, eye surgery, fenestration, gastrectomy, gastroenterostomy, gastrostomy, haemorrhoidectomy, heart surgery, hemorrhoidectomy, hysterotomy, implantation, intestinal bypass, jejunostomy, major surgery, microsurgery, minor surgery, myotomy, myringectomy, myringoplasty, myringotomy, neurosurgery, orchiopexy, organ transplant, osteotomy, ostomy, palatopharyngoplasty, phlebectomy, photocoagulation, plastic surgery, polypectomy, PPP, purse-string operation, reconstructive surgery, resection, rhinotomy, rhizotomy, sex-change operation, Shirodkar's operation, sterilisation, sterilization, strabotomy, taxis, tracheostomy, tracheotomy, transplant, transplantation, transsexual surgery, trephination, tympanoplasty, UPPP, uranoplasty, uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, vasovasostomy, vivisection, wrong-site surgery


Part holonymhaemostasia, haemostasis, hemostasia, hemostasis, incision, section, surgical incision, suturing


Domain categorysurgery


Domain category membersablate, decorticate, freeze, hypophysectomise, hypophysectomize, suction, trepan

7. operation (act) a process or series of acts especially of a practical or mechanical nature involved in a particular form of work


SamplesThe operations in building a house.
Certain machine tool operations.


Synonymsprocedure


Broader (hypernym)work

8. operation (process) process or manner of functioning or operating


SamplesThe power of its engine determines its operation.
The plane's operation in high winds.
They compared the cooking performance of each oven.
The jet's performance conformed to high standards.


Synonymsfunctioning, performance


Broader (hypernym)physical process, process

9. operation (cognition) (psychology) the performance of some composite cognitive activity; an operation that affects mental contents


SamplesThe process of thinking.
The cognitive operation of remembering.


Synonymscognitive operation, cognitive process, mental process, process


Broader (hypernym)cognition, knowledge, noesis


Narrower (hyponym)basic cognitive process, higher cognitive process


Domain categorypsychological science, psychology

10. operation (act) (mathematics) calculation by mathematical methods


SamplesThe problems at the end of the chapter demonstrated the mathematical processes involved in the derivation.
They were learning the basic operations of arithmetic.


Synonymsmathematical operation, mathematical process


Broader (hypernym)calculation, computation, computing


Narrower (hyponym)arithmetic operation, combination, construction, differentiation, exponentiation, integration, involution, matrix operation, maximization, permutation, relaxation, relaxation method


Domain categorymath, mathematics, maths

11. operation (act) the activity of operating something (a machine or business etc.)


SamplesHer smooth operation of the vehicle gave us a surprisingly comfortable ride.


Broader (hypernym)activity


Domain categorybusiness, business enterprise, commercial enterprise









Based on WordNet 3.0 copyright © Princeton University.
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