noun

1. 1. a person who carries on business transactions for another; commission merchant; agent for the sale of goods entrusted to his possession
   2. an agent, as a banking or finance company, engaged in financing the operations of certain companies, or in financing wholesale and retail sales, through the purchase of accounts receivable

2. Etymology: < fig. use of sense 4

   any of the circumstances, conditions, etc. that bring about a result; element or constituent that makes a thing what it is
3. Biol. gene
4. Math. any of two or more quantities which form a product when multiplied together

Etymology: ME factour < OFr facteur < L factor, doer, maker < pp. of facere, do

transitive verb

intransitive verb