# process

Pronunciation: US say "PRAH-ses" /ˈpɹɑ.sɛs/; UK say "PROH-ses" /ˈpɹəʊ.sɛs/

## Noun

1. A series of actions, steps or natural changes that happen one after another and lead to a result, as in the approval process, the aging process or the healing process.
   - Simple: A set of steps or changes that happen one after another and lead to a result.
   - _The approval process for the loan took nearly a month._
   - _Turning grapes into wine is a process that depends on careful timing._
4. The method and operations by which a product is made, especially in the food or chemical industry.
   - Simple: The set of steps used to make a product, especially in factories.
   - _The company patented a process for refining sugar more cheaply._
   - _Engineers redesigned the brewing process to cut waste._
5. An executable task or program, especially one currently running on a computer.
   - Simple: A task or program that a computer is running.
   - _The operating system assigns memory to every running process._
   - _A background process kept slowing the computer down._
7. An outgrowth of tissue rising above a surface, often forming part of a joint or a place where a muscle attaches.
   - Simple: A small part of bone or tissue that sticks out from a surface.
   - _The surgeon trimmed the bony process pressing on the nerve._
   - _Each vertebra has a process that the back muscles attach to._
8. The documents issued by a court during a lawsuit, such as a summons, mandate, or writ.
   - Simple: Official papers a court sends out during a lawsuit, like a summons.
   - _The defendant claimed he never received the process from the court._
   - _The judge dismissed the suit because the plaintiff never properly served process on the defendant._

## Verb

2. To put something through a series of operations or treatments in order to change, prepare or deal with it, as with raw materials, applications or photographic film.
   - Simple: To treat or handle something in a set series of steps, such as making food, developing film or handling forms.
   - _The plant processes raw ore into usable metal._
   - _They process the grain before shipping it to bakeries._
3. To perform operations on data or signals, such as retrieving, storing, sorting, altering, or transmitting them, especially by computer.
   - Simple: To handle data with a computer, such as storing or changing it.
   - _The server processes millions of transactions every hour._
   - _Engineers wrote code to process the raw sensor signals._
6. To think over a piece of information or an idea in order to take it in, perhaps accepting it in a changed form.
   - Simple: To think carefully about new information so you can understand and accept it.
   - _It took her weeks to process the news of the layoffs._
   - _Therapists help clients process difficult memories at their own pace._
9. To walk in a procession, especially during a religious or ceremonial occasion. (pronounced: say "pruh-SES" /pɹəˈsɛs/)
   - Simple: To walk forward as part of a group, especially in a church ceremony.
   - _The clergy process to the altar carrying candles and incense._
   - _Mourners processed behind the coffin through the village._

## Verb

10. To begin formal legal proceedings against a person or party. *(rare)*
   - Simple: To start a legal case against someone in court.

## Other meanings

- (noun) The central mark on the board that players aim their pieces at in the game of squails.

## Origin

**Meanings 1–8, 10** — Latin prōcēdō ("proceed, advance") had a noun form, prōcessus ("course, progression"), which became Old French procés ("journey") and then Middle English proces.
**Meaning 9** — Formed as a back-formation from procession.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/process (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).