# Means-plus-function

A claim format authorized by 35 U.S.C. 112(f) that claims an element by what it does rather than what it is — for example, 'means for fastening.' Such a claim is limited to the specific structures disclosed in the specification and their equivalents, so it is narrower than it first appears.

**Full entry:** https://patentbrief.org/glossary/means-plus-function

**All patent terms:** https://patentbrief.org/glossary

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_Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. A plain-English glossary of US patent terms._