formula
[ fawr-myuh-luh ]
/ ˈfɔr myə lə /
noun, plural for·mu·las, for·mu·lae [fawr-myuh-lee] /ˈfɔr myəˌli/.
Words nearby formula
formiminoglutamic acid,
formless,
formol,
formosa,
formosus,
formula,
formula one,
formula unit,
formula weight,
formulaic,
formularize
Example sentences from the Web for formula
British Dictionary definitions for formula
formula
/ (ˈfɔːmjʊlə) /
noun plural -las or -lae (-ˌliː)
an established form or set of words, as used in religious ceremonies, legal proceedings, etc
maths physics
a general relationship, principle, or rule stated, often as an equation, in the form of symbols
chem
a representation of molecules, radicals, ions, etc, expressed in the symbols of the atoms of their constituent elements
See molecular formula, empirical formula, structural formula
- a method, pattern, or rule for doing or producing something, often one proved to be successful
- (as modifier)formula fiction
- a prescription for making up a medicine, baby's food, etc
- a substance prepared according to such a prescription
motor racing
the specific category in which a particular type of car competes, judged according to engine size, weight, and fuel capacity
Derived forms of formula
formulaic (ˌfɔːmjʊˈleɪɪk), adjectiveWord Origin for formula
C17: from Latin: diminutive of
forma
form
Medical definitions for formula
formula
[ fôr′myə-lə ]
n. pl. for•mu•las
A symbolic representation of the chemical composition or of the chemical composition and structure of a compound.
The chemical compound so represented.
A prescription of ingredients in fixed proportion; a recipe.
A liquid food for infants, containing most of the nutrients in human milk.
A mathematical statement, especially an equation, of a fact, rule, principle, or other logical relation.
Scientific definitions for formula
formula
[ fôr′myə-lə ]
Plural formulas formulae (fôr′myə-lē′)
A set of symbols showing the composition of a chemical compound. A formula lists the elements contained within it and indicates the number of atoms of each element with a subscript numeral if the number is more than 1. For example, H2O is the formula for water, where H2 indicates two atoms of hydrogen and O indicates one atom of oxygen.
A set of symbols expressing a mathematical rule or principle. For example, the formula for the area of a rectangle is a = lw, where a is the area, l the length, and w the width.