Word family noun operation cooperation operative cooperative operator adjective operational operative cooperative ≠ uncooperative verb operate cooperate adverb operationally cooperatively
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary EnglishHospital, Business basics, Technology, Military, Police, Computers, Illness & disability, Nurses, doctors, etc
operationop‧e‧ra‧tion /ˌɒpəˈreɪʃən $ ˌɑːp-/ ●●● S1 W1 noun 1 medical [countable]MH the process of cutting into someone’s body to repair or remove a part that is damagedoperation on She’s going to need an operation on her ankle.operation for an operation for canceroperation to do something He had an operation to reduce the swelling in his brain.2 business/organization [countable]BBBUSINESS a business, company, or organization The firm set up its own property development operation. a microchip manufacturing operation Nolan and Barnes were both involved in the operation.3 work/activities [countable, uncountable]BBWORK THAT somebody DOES the work or activities done by a business or organization, or the process of doing this work Many small businesses fail in the first year of operation. The Education Business Partnership has been in operation since 1989.4 actions [countable]DO something/TAKE ACTION a set of planned actions or activities for a particular purpose The UN rescue operation started shortly after dawn.5 machine/system [uncountable]TWORKING/NOT BROKEN the way the parts of a machine or system work together, or the process of making a machine or system work The aircraft’s engine operation was normal.in operation Protective clothing must be worn when the machine is in operation. The device has a single button, allowing for easy operation. Careful checks must be made before the factory commences operation. The new investment system came into operation in 1999. 6 principle/law/plan etc [uncountable]EFFECT/INFLUENCE the way something such as a principle or law works or has an effectin operation a clear example of the law of gravity in operationcome/go into operation (=begin to have an effect) The new rule comes into operation on February 1.put/bring something into operation (=make something start to work) A scheme is being brought into operation to see how these changes would work.7 military/police action [countable]PMSCP a planned military or police action, especially one that involves a lot of people Britain will carry out a joint military operation with the US.8 computers [countable]TD an action done by a computerCOLLOCATIONSverbshave an operation (also undergo an operation formal)Harris had a hip operation in October.She has undergone 50 operations since birth.do/carry out an operation (also perform an operation formal)The operation was carried out by a team of surgeons at Papworth Hospital.I’ve done this operation hundreds of times.recover from an operationA man is recovering from an emergency operation after his pet dog attacked him.survive an operationOnly one person has survived an operation to implant an artificial heart.ADJECTIVES/NOUN + operationa knee/heart/stomach etc operationHe is almost back to full fitness after a knee operation.a major/minor operationThe unit cares for patients recovering from major operations.an emergency operationHe had to have his spleen removed in an emergency operation.a routine operation (=an operation that is often performed)a routine operation to remove an appendixa life-saving operationThe child underwent a life-saving operation to remove a blockage in her stomach.a transplant operationHe is too weak to undergo a transplant operation.COMMON ERRORS ► Don’t say ‘take an operation’. Say have an operation.Don’t say ‘make an operation’. Say do an operation or perform an operation. THESAURUSoperation noun [countable] the process of cutting into someone’s body to repair or remove a part that is damagedHe had an operation to remove a blood clot from his brain.procedure noun [countable] an operation performed in a particular way on a particular part of the body. Procedure is used especially in medical English, for example by doctors and people who work in hospitals. In everyday English people usually say operationa common surgical procedure The procedure normally only takes a few minutes.transplant noun [countable] an operation to remove an organ from one person’s body and put it into another person’s bodyThere is a shortage of donors for heart transplants.She had to have a kidney transplant. surgery noun [uncountable] medical treatment involving an operationShe required surgery on her right knee.He was taken in for surgery.plastic surgery noun [uncountable] surgery to improve someone’s appearanceThe singer has just had plastic surgery on her nose.bypass noun [countable] an operation to make someone’s blood flow past a part of their heart that is blocked or damaged, often using a vein that has been removed from another part of their bodyHe went into hospital for a triple heart bypass.skin graft an operation to repair an area of skin that has been badly damaged, especially using skin from another part of someone’s bodyHer leg was severely burned and may require a skin graft. Examples from the Corpus
operation• I had an operation on my knee last year.• The doctor says I must have an operation.• Such procedures should aim to ensure efficient operation and the provision of fresh, clean air.• She runs one of the most powerful lobbying operations in Washington.• One such initiative is that presented by the application of advanced expert systems to aircraft maintenance operations.• In a joint U.S.-Mexican operation, police arrested 28 people on charges of drug-smuggling.• The new chip can process millions of operations per second.• These are the lottery's worst results since its first year of operation.• a big rescue operation• As part of the rescue operation it left control of the banks with the minority shareholders.• a profitable data storage operation• He criticised the agency's surveillance operations, and alleged that it was incompetent.• Tell the mechanic to check the operation of the ignition system.• The rules governing the operation of military housing covered 800 pages.• Chris Miller is the operations supervisor for Fast Drains.• Through a second group of functions, government supplements and modifies the operation of the market system.• Ask the surgeon how many times he has performed the operation before, and with what success.• the operation of the laws of gravity• It's not known if the patrol which spotted the stolen car was part of this operation.• a throat operationoperation on• She says she resents critics who blame her operation for all of their problems.• The client identifier should be noted carefully and either the identifier or the title used in all further operations for this client.• The security operation for the protection of delegates involved about 12,000 police.• They will then switch to rack operation for the climb to Monserrat.• His League career ended prematurely last season when he lost three pieces of bone in an operation on his right ankle.• In a relational system, the result of any operation on one or more relations is itself a relation.• Many image-processing computer systems can perform a number of straight forward operations on the displayed image.• Each level relies for its operations on all the levels below it.been in operation• A school pupil boycott had also been in operation since the beginning of the year.• This Republican coup recapitulated a pattern that had been in operation since the beginning of the 1990s.• It has been in operation for 100 years and is proceeding at a very slow rate.• The new prefilter has been in operation for 4 weeks now with no alteration of flow.• An interim ground water removal system has been in operation for several years, removing 7 millions gallons of contaminated water.• Essentially this document brings a process which has been in operation since 1980 into line with the accreditation agreement with the Council.• Had the system been accepted the first commercial power satellite might have been in operation by 2010.• This runs through an existing tunnel, but it has not been in operation since 1970.came into operation• A ceasefire came into operation in May and all serious fighting stopped.• Danzig's first railway connection from Bromberg to the city's Main Gate, came into operation in 1852.• In April 1990 reforms came into operation which addressed the first but not the second elements of concern outlined above.• The system came into operation last week at Cleveland County Council's Middlesbrough headquarters.• Both taxes came into operation at the time when the land and property boom turned into a slump.• The tariff which came into operation in 1880 was a direct response.put/bring something into operation• Concrete modes of putting this into operation were discussed by a commission and put into effect by June 1971.• He began to write down the questions he needed answered in order to put his plan into operation.• The engine is started on petrol, with just enough suction to bring the gasifier into operation.• We put our plan into operation and stopped the car.• So it is with principles identified by evaluation and the techniques which put them into operation.military operation• No member state will have to take part in a military operation if it does not want to.• This is not a military operation.• It had become difficult for him to imagine anything other than a successful outcome to his diplomatic and military operations.• The slaves gathered on August 30,1800, but disbanded because a violent storm and flood made military operations impossible.• After weeks of planning, the first phase of the military operation went well.• The military operation, on April 25,1980, was poorly planned and badly executed.From Longman Business Dictionaryoperationop‧e‧ra‧tion /ˌɒpəˈreɪʃənˌɑː-/ noun1[uncountable] the way the parts of a machine, system etc work together, or the process of making a machine, system etc workthe design and operation of specialized equipment2in/into operationMANUFACTURING if something is in operation, or is put into operation, it is working or is made to start workingThe nuclear plants in operation produce 400,000 megawatts.The new subway lines are scheduled togo into operation at the end of the year.The manufacturer put a $120 million joint venture in Hungaryinto operation last March.3[countable]COMMERCEORGANIZATIONS a business activity or companyIt claimed to be the only European commuter rail operation not supported by public money.4[countable] a part of a large business or company that does a particular activity or type of workIts West European operations have emerged as the biggest profit earners in the entire group.The business has been able to shed its loss-making operations.This move strengthens the company’s retailing operations in the Netherlands.5[countable, uncountable]COMMERCE the process of operating as a businessMany small businesses fail in the first year of operation.The publishing house ceased operations in 1998.The firm is still in operation. 6operations [plural]FINANCE a company’s normal activities related to providing services or producing goods, rather than other actions with financial effects, such as selling assetsThe company reported earnings from operations of about 88 cents a share.7[countable]FINANCE the action of buying or selling somethingSYNTRANSACTIONTheir purchase was not the straightforward financial operation they claimed.8come into operation/put something into operation when a law, system, or rule comes into operation, it starts having an effect or being usedThe new rule comes into operation on 1 February.We hope to put the new regulations into operation immediately.9[countable]COMPUTING an action done by a computer or a machineSeveral operations can be carried out by the program at the same time.10[countable] a set of actions, usually involving a large number of people, that are planned to achieve a particular purposea salvage operationThe construction and administration of questionnaires is a highly skilled operation. 