facto

n. [ L. factor a doer: cf. F. facteur a factor. See Fact. ] 1. (Law) One who transacts business for another; an agent; a substitute; especially, a mercantile agent who buys and sells goods and transacts business for others in commission; a commission merchant or consignee. He may be a home factor or a foreign factor. He may buy and sell in his own name, and he is intrusted with the possession and control of the goods; and in these respects he differs from a broker. Story. Wharton. [ 1913 Webster ]

My factor sends me word, a merchant's fled
That owes me for a hundred tun of wine. Marlowe. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A steward or bailiff of an estate. [ Scot. ] Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Math.) One of the elements or quantities which, when multiplied together, form a product. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. One of the elements, circumstances, or influences which contribute to produce a result; a constituent; a contributory cause. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

The materal and dynamical factors of nutrition. H. Spencer. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Factored p. pr. & vb. n. Factoring. ] (Mach.) To resolve (a quantity) into its factors. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. factorage. ] The allowance given to a factor, as a compensation for his services; -- called also a commission. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A factor who is a woman. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Math.) (a) pl. A name given to the factors of a continued product when the former are derivable from one and the same function F(x) by successively imparting a constant increment or decrement h to the independent variable. Thus the product F(x).F(x + h).F(x + 2h) . . . F[ x + (n-1)h ] is called a factorial term, and its several factors take the name of factorials. Brande & C.

(b) The product of the consecutive whole numbers from unity up to any given number; thus, 5 factorial is the product of 5 times four times three times two times one, or 120. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

a. 1. Of or pertaining to a factory. Buchanan. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Math.) Related to factorials. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Math.) The act of resolving into factors. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. 1. to resolve into factors, as of a polynomial; same as factorize. [ mostly Brit. ]
Syn. -- factorize. [ WordNet 1.5 ]