office








noun

  1. a room, set of rooms, or building where the business of a commercial or industrial organization or of a professional person is conducted: the main office of an insurance company; a doctor’s office.
  2. a room assigned to a specific person or a group of persons in a commercial or industrial organization: Her office is next to mine.
  3. a business or professional organization: He went to work in an architect’s office.
  4. the staff or designated part of a staff at a commercial or industrial organization: The whole office was at his wedding.
  5. a position of duty, trust, or authority, especially in the government, a corporation, a society, or the like: She was elected twice to the office of president.
  6. employment or position as an official: to seek office.
  7. the duty, function, or part of a particular person or agency: to act in the office of adviser.
  8. (initial capital letter) an operating agency or division of certain departments of the U.S. Government: Office of Community Services.
  9. (initial capital letter) British. a major administrative unit or department of the national government: the Foreign Office.
  10. Slang. hint, signal, or warning; high sign.
  11. Often offices. something, whether good or bad, done or said for or to another: He obtained a position through the offices of a friend.
  12. Ecclesiastical.
    1. the prescribed order or form for a service of the church or for devotional use.
    2. the services so prescribed.
    3. Also called divine office.the prayers, readings from Scripture, and psalms that must be recited every day by all who are in major orders.
    4. a ceremony or rite, especially for the dead.
  13. a service or task to be performed; assignment; chore: little domestic offices.
  14. offices, Chiefly British.
    1. the parts of a house, as the kitchen, pantry, or laundry, devoted mainly to household work.
    2. the stables, barns, cowhouses, etc., of a farm.
  15. Older Slang. privy.

noun

    1. a room or set of rooms in which business, professional duties, clerical work, etc, are carried out
    2. (as modifier)office furniture; an office boy
  1. (often plural) the building or buildings in which the work of an organization, such as a business or government department, is carried out
  2. a commercial or professional businessthe architect’s office approved the plans
  3. the group of persons working in an officeit was a happy office until she came
  4. (capital when part of a name) (in Britain) a department of the national governmentthe Home Office
  5. (capital when part of a name) (in the US)
    1. a governmental agency, esp of the Federal government
    2. a subdivision of such an agency or of a departmentOffice of Science and Technology
    1. a position of trust, responsibility, or duty, esp in a government or organizationthe office of president; to seek office
    2. (in combination)an office-holder
  6. duty or functionthe office of an administrator
  7. (often plural) a minor task or servicedomestic offices
  8. (often plural) an action performed for another, usually a beneficial actionthrough his good offices
  9. a place where tickets, information, etc, can be obtaineda ticket office
  10. Christianity
    1. (often plural)a ceremony or service, prescribed by ecclesiastical authorities, esp one for the dead
    2. the order or form of these
    3. RC Churchthe official daily service
    4. short for divine office
  11. (plural) the parts of a house or estate where work is done, goods are stored, etc
  12. (usually plural) British euphemistic a lavatory (esp in the phrase usual offices)
  13. in office (of a government) in power
  14. out of office (of a government) out of power
  15. the office slang a hint or signal

n.mid-13c., “a post, an employment to which certain duties are attached,” from Anglo-French and Old French ofice “place or function; divine service” (12c. in Old French) or directly from Latin officium “service, kindness, favor; official duty, function, business; ceremonial observance,” (in Ecclesiastical Latin, “church service”), literally “work-doing,” from ops (genitive opis) “power, might, abundance, means” (related to opus “work;” see opus) + stem of facere “do, perform” (see factitious). Meaning “place for conducting business” first recorded 1560s. Office hours attested from 1841. see box office; front office; land-office business; take office.

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