factor
/ˈfæktə/ · fac·tor
noun
- A person who acts on behalf of another, especially a commercial agent or representative. The factor negotiated the sale of the furs for the trading post.
- A commission agent who buys and sells goods on behalf of others. She hired a factor to handle the export of the textiles.
verb
- To determine all the factors (divisors) of a number or mathematical object. He factored the integer to find its prime components.
- To be expressed as a product of other numbers or elements. Six can be factored into 2 × 3.
- (Commercial) To sell a debt or debts to a factor for collection. The merchant factored his accounts receivable to obtain immediate cash.
Did you know? In the 16th and 17th centuries, 'factor' was a common title for European merchants operating as agents in the East India trade.