"act or process of removing the function of education from conventional schools to non-institutional systems of learning," 1970, coined by Austrian-born U.S. anarchist philosopher Ivan Illich (1926-2002), from de- + schooling.

"the study of electronic systems which function in the manner of organic systems," 1959, from bio- "life" + second element from electronic; also see -ics.

1670s, "having the quality or function of creating," from create + -ive. Of literature and art, "imaginative," from 1816, in Wordsworth. Creative writing is attested by 1848. Related: Creatively.

1580s, "function or manners of a stage clown or jester," from clown (n.) + -age. From 1630s as "actions or behavior of a rustic."

"the act of depriving a male of the function which characterizes the sex; castration," also more generally "the act of depriving of vigor or strength," 1620s, noun of action from emasculate.

"assistant court officer in administrative or routine function," 1530s, now chiefly U.S., alteration of registrar (q.v) due to influence of register.

type of bagpipe music consisting of a series of variations on a theme, 1719, from Gaelic piobaireachd, literally "piper's art," from piobair "a piper" (from piob "pipe," an English loan word; see pipe (n.1)) + -achd, suffix denoting function.

1650s, "of or pertaining to the function of digestion;" 1660s, "promoting digestion," from Latin pepticus, from Greek peptikos "able to digest," from peptos "cooked, digested," verbal adjective of peptein "to cook" (from PIE root *pekw- "to cook, ripen").

"mental function, the action or exercise of the mind" 1839, from Latin ment-, stem of mens "mind" (from PIE root *men- (1) "to think") + -ation. Also "a state of mind."

1570s, "related by correspondence," present-participle adjective from correspond. Not common until 19c., when it took on the adjectival function of correspondent. Related: Correspondingly (1836).