Definition of "process" in English

noun

1. A series of events leading to a result or product.

   • This product of last month's quality standards committee is quite good, even though the process was flawed.

2. (manufacturing) The set of procedures used in the manufacture of a product, especially in the food and chemical industries.

   • 1960, Mack Tyner, Process Engineering Calculations: Material and Energy Balances – Ordinarily a process plant will use a steam boiler to supply its process heat requirements and to drive a steam-turbine generator.
   • 1987, J. R. Richards, Principles of control system design in Modelling and control of fermentation processes – The words plant or process infer generally any dynamic system, be it primarily mechanical, electrical, or chemical process in nature, and may extend also to include social or economic systems.

3. A path or succession of states through which a system passes.

4. (biology) Successive physiological responses to keep or restore health.

5. (law) Documents issued by a court in the course of a lawsuit or action at law, such as a summons, mandate, or writ.

6. (anatomy) An outgrowth of tissue arising above a surface, such as might form part of a joint or the attachment point for a muscle.

7. (computing) An executable task or program.

8. The centre mark that players aim at in the game of squails.

verb

1. (transitive) To perform a particular process on a thing.

2. (transitive) To retrieve, store, classify, manipulate, transmit etc. (data, signals, etc.), especially using computer techniques.

   • We have processed the data using our proven techniques, and have come to the following conclusions.

3. (transitive, figurative) To think about a piece of information, or a concept, in order to assimilate it, and perhaps accept it in a modified state.

   • I didn't know she had a criminal record. That will take me a while to process.

4. (transitive, photography, film) To develop photographic film.

5. (transitive, law) To take legal proceedings against.

verb

1. To walk in a procession, especially in a liturgical context.