function as

function as (something)

To have a particular purpose or fill a certain role. Mrs. Smith will function as your homeroom teacher for the rest of the year now that Mrs. Jones is on maternity leave.
See also: function
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

function as

v.
To serve a purpose or play a role similar to that of something else: The beaks of some wading birds function as spears for catching fish.
See also: function
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • function as (something)
  • go down as (something)
  • little work never hurt anyone
  • a little (hard) work never hurt anybody
  • a little (hard) work never hurt anyone
  • a little (hard) work never killed anybody
  • a little (hard) work never killed anyone
  • anybody
  • take a collection up
  • take a collection up (for someone or something)
References in periodicals archive
(42.) The burden of defending the designation of a function as essential falls upon the employer.
The Americans with Disabilities Act
The function as such is not the point, despite all its thematically creepy over-tones, but exists in order to create the formal challenge that unites an otherwise miscellaneous group of sculptures.
The emotional content of trapping and being trapped, it seems, is endlessly variable, and it has as little to do with unity of function as do the various shapes and materials through which that function can be achieved.
ANDREAS SLOMINSKI
Due to this subtle, yet important, distinction, many business executives dismiss the intelligence function as a mere trend, while other administrators, who suspect that intelligence work can provide a competitive advantage for a firm, assign the function to their market research department.
Therefore, illustrating its applicability to a wider array of organizational settings can, in turn, heighten the perceived need for this function as well as demonstrate that organizations procure such information for reasons other than increasing profits.
Educational programs for intelligence professionals
Affected corporations may consider outsourcing their corporate tax function as no more than contract services for an ongoing compliance function.
Outsourcing the tax function: a survey