service

noun (WORK)

/ˈsɜː.vɪs/

/ˈsɝː-/

Definition

B2 [C] a government department that is responsible for a particular area of activity: the diplomatic service the security servicesGovernment departments and organizations C1 [C or U] the time you spend working for an organization: She was given the award for a lifetime of public service.Working hours and periods of workWork, working and the workplace services [plural] formal › the particular skills that someone has and can offer to others: I may be needing the services of a surveyor soon, as I'm buying a house.Skill, talent and ability in service › in use: The battleship has been in service since 1965.Using and misusing be in service old-fashioned › to be employed as a servantServants, slaves and underlings

(Definition of service noun (WORK) from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)