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  3  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Derivation  \Der`iva"tion\,  n. 
  The  formation  of  a  word  from  its  more  original  or  radical 
  elements;  also  a  statement  of  the  origin  and  history  of  a 
  word 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Derivation  \Der`i*va"tion\,  n.  [L.  derivatio:  cf  F. 
  d['e]rivation.  See  {Derive}.] 
  1.  A  leading  or  drawing  off  of  water  from  a  stream  or  source. 
  [Obs.]  --T.  Burnet. 
 
  2.  The  act  of  receiving  anything  from  a  source;  the  act  of 
  procuring  an  effect  from  a  cause  means  or  condition,  as 
  profits  from  capital,  conclusions  or  opinions  from 
  evidence. 
 
  As  touching  traditional  communication,  .  .  .  I  do 
  not  doubt  but  many  of  those  truths  have  had  the  help 
  of  that  derivation.  --Sir  M.  Hale. 
 
  3.  The  act  of  tracing  origin  or  descent,  as  in  grammar  or 
  genealogy;  as  the  derivation  of  a  word  from  an  Aryan 
  root. 
 
  4.  The  state  or  method  of  being  derived;  the  relation  of 
  origin  when  established  or  asserted. 
 
  5.  That  from  which  a  thing  is  derived. 
 
  6.  That  which  is  derived;  a  derivative;  a  deduction. 
 
  From  the  Euphrates  into  an  artificial  derivation  of 
  that  river.  --Gibbon. 
 
  7.  (Math.)  The  operation  of  deducing  one  function  from 
  another  according  to  some  fixed  law,  called  the  law  of 
  derivation,  as  the  of  differentiation  or  of  integration. 
 
  8.  (Med.)  A  drawing  of  humors  or  fluids  from  one  part  of  the 
  body  to  another,  to  relieve  or  lessen  a  morbid  process. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  derivation 
  n  1:  the  source  from  which  something  derives  (i.e.  comes  or 
  issues);  "he  prefers  shoes  of  Italian  derivation" 
  2:  (historical  linguistics)  an  explanation  of  the  historical 
  origins  of  a  word  or  phrase  [syn:  {deriving},  {etymologizing}] 
  3:  a  line  of  reasoning  that  shows  how  a  conclusion  follows 
  logically  from  accepted  propositions 
  4:  (descriptive  linguistics)  the  process  whereby  new  words  are 
  formed  from  existing  words  or  bases  by  affixation: 
  `singer'  from  `sing';  `undo'  from  `do' 
  5:  inherited  properties  shared  with  others  of  your  bloodline 
  [syn:  {ancestry},  {lineage},  {filiation}] 
  6:  drawing  of  fluid  or  inflammation  away  from  a  diseased  part 
  of  the  body 
  7:  drawing  off  water  from  its  main  channel  as  for  irrigation 

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