Operation
/ˌɒpəˈreɪʃən/noun
An organized action or process performed to achieve a particular result, including a surgical procedure.
Did you know?In Renaissance occult and alchemical writing, an “operation” could refer to a deliberate magical or laboratory working, not merely a medical procedure.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*op-
“To work, produce, or bring about”
Classical Latin
Latin
opus
“Work, labor, task, or a product of work”
Classical Latin
Latin
operari
“To work, perform, or carry out a task”
Late Latin
Latin
operatio
“A working, activity, or process”
13th Century
Old French
operacion
“Action, performance, or effect”
14th Century
English
operation
“An action or process; later, a surgical procedure”
Modern English
English
operation
“An organized activity, process, or surgical intervention”