factor, fact our

[Lat. factor, from fact us, pa. par. of facio; Sp. & Port.factor; Fr. facteur; Ital. fattore.] I. Ordinary Language : *1. A doer; one who does any act. 2. An agent or substitute. "Chief factors for the gods." Shakesp.. Antony and Cleopatra , ii. 6. 3. A steward or agent of an estate, appointed by landowner to manage the estate, collect rents, let lands, . IMG:content-1347.png:[blocks in formation] 1. Alg .: A name given to any quantity which constitutes an algebraical expre ion: thus a + b and a -bare factors of the product a2 - 62. 2. Arith .: The multiplier and the multiplicand; the numbers from the multiplication of which the product results. 3. Comm.: An agent employed by merchants to transact busine for them in other places, as to buy and sell, to negotiate bills of exchange, . He differs from a broker in that he is intrusted with the po e ion and disposal of the goods, property, ., and may buy and sell in his own name. "The house in Leaden hall Street is nothing more than a change for their agents, factors , and deputies to meet in."- Burke: Mr. Fox's East India Bill. Prime factors: Math.: The prime factors of a quantity are those factors which cannot be exactly divided by any other quantity except 1. Every number has 1 for a prime factor. The prime factors of 12 are 1, 2, 2, and 3. Crabb thus discriminates between factor and agent : "Though both these terms, according to their origin, imply a maker or doer, yet, at present, they have a distinct signification: the word factor is used in a limited, and the word agent in a general sense: the factor only buys and sells on the account of others; the agent transacts every sort of busine in general: merchants and manufacturers employ factors abroad to dispose of goods transmitted; lawyers are frequently employed as agents in the receipt and payment of money, the transfer of estates, and various other pecuniary concerns.' (Crabb: Eng. Synon.) factum făc'-tör, v. t. & i. [FACTOR, 8.] A. Transitive : 1. Ord. Lang.: To act as factor for, or look after property, lands, busine , .; to manage. 2. Math .: Τo resolve a quantity into its factors: thus, a2-b2 is factored into a + b and a -b. "No definite rules can be laid down for factoring algebraic expre ions." - Davies and Peck: Mathematical Dictionary *B. In trans.: To trade or act as agents. "Sent your prayers and good works to factor there for you."-Ward. Sermons, p. 173. făc-tõr-age (age as Ig), 8. [Fr.] The allowance or commi ion given to a factor by his employer. "He put £1,000 into Dudley's hands to trade for him to the end that his brother, Montague, might have the benefit of the factorage ."-North: Life of Lord Guilford, ii. 292. *făc-tõr-e , *făc-trě , s. [Eng. factor ; -e .] A female factor. "Your factre hath been tampering for my misery." Ford: The Fancies, Chaste and Noble, iii. 2.