2. an organized system of labour and material aids used to supply the needs of the public: telephone service; bus service.
3. [Commerce] the supply, installation, or maintenance of goods carried out by a dealer
4. the state of availability for use by the public [esp in the phrases into or out of service]
5. a periodic overhaul made on a car, machine, etc
6. the act or manner of serving guests, customers, etc, in a shop, hotel, restaurant, etc
7. [Government, Politics & Diplomacy] a department of public employment and its employees: civil service.
8. [Industrial Relations & HR Terms] employment in or performance of work for another: he has been in the service of our firm for ten years.
9. [Government, Politics & Diplomacy] the work of a public servant
10. [Military]
a. one of the branches of the armed forces
b. [as modifier]: service life.
11. the state, position, or duties of a domestic servant [esp in the phrase in service]
12. the act or manner of serving food
13. a complete set of dishes, cups, etc, for use at table
14. [Ecclesiastical Terms] public worship carried out according to certain prescribed forms: divine service.
15. [Ecclesiastical Terms] the prescribed form according to which a specific kind of religious ceremony is to be carried out: the burial service.
16. [Anglicanism] a unified collection of musical settings of the canticles and other liturgical items prescribed by the Book of Common Prayer as used in the Church of England
17. [Music, other] a unified collection of musical settings of the canticles and other liturgical items prescribed by the Book of Common Prayer as used in the Church of England
18. [General Sporting Terms] sport
a. the act, manner, or right of serving a ball
b. the game in which a particular player serves: he has lost his service. Often shortened to: serve
19. [Law] [in feudal law] the duty owed by a tenant to his lord
20. [Law] the serving of a writ, summons, etc, upon a person
21. [Nautical Terms] nautical a length of tarred marline or small stuff used in serving
22. [Zoology] [of male animals] the act of mating
23. [Industrial Relations & HR Terms] [modifier] of, relating to, or for the use of servants or employees
24. [Industrial Relations & HR Terms] [modifier] serving the public rather than producing goods
vb [tr]
25. to provide service or services
27. to supply with assistance
28. to overhaul [a car, machine, etc]
29. [Zoology] [of a male animal] to mate with [a female]
30. [Banking & Finance] Brit to meet interest and capital payments on [debt]
[C12 servise, from Old French, from Latin servitium condition of a slave, from servus a slave]
[ˈsɜːvɪs]Service
[ˈsɜːvɪs]n
[Biography] Robert [William]. 1874–1958, Canadian poet, born in England; noted for his ballad-like poems of gold-rush era Yukon, such as 'The Shooting of Dan McGrew'; his books include Songs of a Sourdough [1907]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
serv•ice1
[ˈsɜr vɪs]n., adj., v. -iced, -ic•ing. n.
1. an act of helpful activity; help; aid.
2. the supplying or supplier of utilities, commodities, or other facilities that meet a public need, as water, electricity, communication, or transportation.
3. the providing or a provider of accommodation and activities required by the public, as maintenance or repair: guaranteed service and parts.
4. the organized system of apparatus, appliances, employees, etc., for supplying some accommodation required by the public: a television repair service.
5. the performance of duties or the duties performed as or by a waiter or servant.
6. employment in any duties or work for a person, organization, government, etc.
7. a department of public employment, or the body of public servants in it: the diplomatic service.
8. the duty or work of public servants.
9.
a. the armed forces: in the service.
b. a branch of the armed forces.
10. the actions required in loading and firing a cannon.
11. Often, services. the performance of any duties or work for another: medical services.
12. something made or done by a commercial organization for the public benefit and without regard to direct profit.
13. Also called divine service. public religious worship according to prescribed form and order.
14. a ritual or form prescribed for public worship or for some particular occasion: the marriage service.
15. the serving of God by obedience, piety, etc.
16. a musical setting of the sung portions of a liturgy.
17. a set of dishes, utensils, etc., for general table use or for particular use.
19. Law. the serving of a process or writ upon a person.
20. [in tennis, badminton, handball, etc.]
a. the act or manner of putting the ball or shuttlecock into play; serve.
b. the ball or shuttlecock as put into play.
21. the mating of a female animal with the male.
adj.23. of, pertaining to, or used by servants, delivery people, etc., or in serving food.
24. supplying services rather than products or goods: the service professions.
25. supplying maintenance and repair: a service center for electrical appliances.
26. of, for, or pertaining to the armed forces or one of them.
27. providing, authorizing, or guaranteeing service: a service contract.
v.t.28. to make fit for use; repair or restore: to service an automobile.
29. to supply with aid, information, or other incidental services.
30. [of a male animal] to mate with [a female animal].
31. to pay off [a debt] over a period of time, as by meeting periodic interest payments.
[before 1100; late Old English serfise ceremony < Old French servise, service < Latin servitium servitude, derivative of serv[us] slave]
serv•ice2
[ˈsɜr vɪs]n.
a service tree, esp. Sorbus domestica.
[1520–30; earlier serves, pl. of obsolete serve service tree, Middle English; Old English syrfe < Vulgar Latin *sorbea, derivative of Latin sorbus sorb1]
Ser•vice
[ˈsɜr vɪs]n.
Robert W[illiam], 1874–1958, Canadian writer.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.