service

ser|vice¹ W1S1 [ˈsə:vıs US ˈsə:r-] n

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1¦(official system/organization)¦

2¦(something provided by a company)¦

3¦(in a shop/restaurant/hotel)¦

4¦(work)¦

5¦(work done for somebody)¦

6¦(duty)¦

7¦(being used)¦

8¦(religious ceremony)¦

9¦(army)¦

10¦(help)¦

11¦(check a car/machine)¦

12¦(tennis/ball game)¦

13¦(on a motorway)¦

14¦(plates/cups etc)¦

15¦(bus/train/plane etc)¦

16 be in service/go into service

17¦(legal document)¦

18 for services rendered

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[Date: 1100-1200; : Old French; Origin: Latin servitium 'condition of being a slave', from servus; SERVE¹]

1.) ¦(OFFICIAL SYSTEM/ORGANIZATION)¦

the official system for providing something, especially something that everyone in a country needs to have, or the official organization that provides it

▪ the health service

▪ the postal service

▪ the police service

▪ the prison service

▪ Workers in the emergency services (=police, hospital, and the fire service) are forbidden from striking.

▪ There has been a decline in public services in recent years.

▪ the essential services (=the police, hospitals, fire service, and organizations that provide basic things such as water, gas, or electricity)

→↑civil service, ↑fire service, ↑Internal Revenue Service, ↑Diplomatic Service, ↑National Health Service, ↑secret service, ↑security service

2.) ¦(SOMETHING PROVIDED BY A COMPANY)¦

a particular type of help or work that is provided by a business to customers, but not one that involves producing goods

▪ A wide range of financial services are available.

provide/offer a service

▪ Datapost offers a delivery service to over 160 countries.

▪ Our aim is to provide the best service at the lowest price.

▪ the supply of goods and services

→↑service industry

3.) ¦(IN A SHOP/RESTAURANT/HOTEL)¦[U]

the help that people who work in a shop, restaurant, bar etc give you

good/bad/slow etc service

▪ The service was terrible and so was the food.

customer service

▪ At our bank we insist on high standards of customer service .

▪ Service is included in your bill (=the charge for paying the people who serve you is included) .

→↑room service, ↑self-service, ↑service charge

4.) ¦(WORK)¦[U]

also services

the work that someone does for a person or organization, especially over a long period

20/30 years etc of service

▪ Brian retired after 25 years of service to the company.

▪ a long service award

▪ a career in public service (=work done for the public or the government)

services to sb/sth

(=all the good work you have done for someone or something)

▪ He received an award for services to sport.

5.) ¦(WORK DONE FOR SOMEBODY)¦

services [plural]

skilled work or advice from a particular type of worker who you use to help you do something

sb's services/the services of sb

▪ Lydia obtained the services of a qualified nurse.

sb's services as sth

▪ Why don't you offer your services as a tennis coach?

6.) ¦(DUTY)¦

jury/military/community etc service

something that ordinary people can be asked to do as a public duty or as a punishment

▪ Her attacker was sentenced to 120 hours community service.

7.) ¦(BEING USED)¦[U]

used to talk about whether a piece of equipment, a vehicle etc is available to be used, or how long it can be used

in service

(=being used or available to be used)

▪ These trains have been in service for many years.

out of service

(=not being used or not available to be used)

▪ The escalator is still out of service.

give good/excellent etc service

(=work well and last a long time)

▪ Steel tools can give good service for years.

8.) ¦(RELIGIOUS CEREMONY)¦

a formal religious ceremony, especially in church

hold/conduct a service

▪ The service was held in the chapel.

marriage/funeral/christening etc service

▪ a memorial service for the disaster victims

9.) ¦(ARMY)¦

the services

BrE the service

AmE a country's military forces, especially considered as a job

join/go into the services

▪ Maybe you should join the services.

▪ Her son is in the services .

10.)¦(HELP)¦ [singular, U] formal

help that you give to someone

be at sb's service

(=be available to help someone, or for someone to use)

▪ My secretary is at your service.

be of service (to sb)

(=help someone)

▪ Can I be of any service?

do sb a service

(=do something that will help someone)

▪ He did her a service by telling her the truth.

11.) ¦(CHECK A CAR/MACHINE)¦

an examination and repair of a machine or car to keep it working properly

▪ I'm getting the bus home - my car's in for a service .

12.) ¦(TENNIS/BALL GAME)¦

an act of hitting a ball through the air in order to start a game, especially in tennis

▪ It's your service.

13.) ¦(ON A MOTORWAY)¦

services BrE

a place near a ↑motorway where you can stop and have a meal or drink, or buy food, petrol etc

→↑service station

▪ How far is it to the next services?

14.) ¦(PLATES/CUPS ETC)¦

a set of plates, bowls, cups etc that match each other

15.) ¦(BUS/TRAIN/PLANE ETC)¦ [C usually singular]

BrE a regular journey made by a bus, train, boat etc to a particular place at a particular time

▪ the 8:15 service to Cambridge

16.) be in service/go into service

BrE to be working or start working as a servant in someone's house, especially in the past

→↑domestic service

17.) ¦(LEGAL DOCUMENT)¦[U] formal

when someone is given a legal document telling them that they must do something or that something is going to happen

▪ the service of a summons

18.) for services rendered

formal for work you have done or help you have given

▪ payment for services rendered

→↑active service, ↑lip service,press sb/sth into service at ↑press² (13)

service ²

service² v [T]

1.) [usually passive]

if someone services a machine or vehicle, they examine it and do what is needed to keep it working well

▪ I'm having the car serviced next week.

→↑servicing

2.) to provide people with something they need or want

▪ schools that service local communities

3.) service a debt/loan

technical to pay the ↑interest on a debt