Sekirov Dictionary

office

UK /ˈɒf.ɪs/US /ˈɔ.fɪs/

noun 32
verb 2
forms 3
phrases 2

noun32

•
a room or building with desks, used for work such as writing, planning and using computers
- The office of the Secretary of State is cleaned when it is vacant.
•
A room, set of rooms, or building used for administration and bookkeeping.
- The “Pall Mall Gazette” had its offices[…]in Catherine Street[…] — 1848
•
A room, set of rooms, or building used for selling services or tickets to the public.
- There will be some of the family waiting for you at the coach-office. — 1819
•
(US) A room, set of rooms, or building used for consultation and diagnosis, but not surgery or other major procedures.
- This one was made out at a private office—Office is American for Surgery. — 1975
•
A particular place of business of a larger white-collar business.
- He worked as the receptionist at the Akron office.
•
(figurative) The staff of such places.
- The whole office was there... well, except you, of course.
•
A position of responsibility.
- When the office of Secretary of State is vacant, its duties fall upon an official within the department.
- Do not conflate the officeholder with the office; the distinction sometimes matters.
•
Official position, particularly high employment within government; tenure in such a position.
- She held office as secretary of state until she left office to run for office.
•
The administrative departments housed in such places.
- He's from our public relations office.
•
(UK, Australia) A ministry or other department of government.
- The secretary of state's British colleague heads the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
•
Short for Holy Office: the court of final appeal in cases of heresy.
- They abiured their Heresy bublikly [sic] before the Commissary of the holy office. — 1658
A collection of business software typically including a word processor and spreadsheet and slideshow programs.
•
A duty, particularly owing to one's position or station; a charge, trust, or role; (obsolete, rare) moral duty.
- Ang.... Doe you your office, or giue vp your Place, And you shall well be spar'd. — 1603
•
A service, a kindness.
- The secretary prevailed at the negotiations through the good offices of the Freedonian ambassador.
•
A ceremonial duty or service.
- Golde (gaue he him)[…]for all maner of vessels of euery offyce[…] — 1535
The authorized form of ceremonial worship of a church.
Any special liturgy, as the Office for the Dead or of the Virgin.
A daily service without the eucharist.
•
The daily service of the breviary, the liturgy for each canonical hour, including psalms, collects, and lessons.
- In the Latin rite, all bishops, priests, and transitional deacons are obliged to recite the Divine Office daily.
Various prayers used with modification as a morning or evening service.
•
Last rites.
- The deuout offices of balming and anointing the dead bodies[…] — 1582
•
[in the plural] (old-fashioned) The parts of a house or estate devoted to manual work and storage, as the kitchen, scullery, laundry, stables, etc., particularly (euphemistic, dated) a house or estate's facilities for urination and defecation: outhouses or lavatories.
- As for the Offices, let them stand at some Distance from the House, with some low covered Galleries, to pass from them to the Palace it self. — 1720
•
(slang, old-fashioned) A plane's cockpit, particularly an observer's cockpit.
- I withdraw into ‘the office’, otherwise the observer's cockpit. — 1917
•
(slang, figurative) Inside information.
- Giving the office—is when you suffer any person, who may stand behind your chair, to look over your hand. — 1803
•
(UK, historical) Clipping of inquest of office
- If they find the treason or felony... of the party accused... the king is thereupon, by virtue of this office found, intitled to have his forfeitures. — 1768
•
(no longer used) Function: anything typically done by or expected of something.
- In this experiment the several intervals of the teeth of the comb do the office of so many prisms. — 1704
•
(no longer used) Mass, (particularly) the introit sung at its beginning.
- The office, or Introite, (as they call it). — 1549
•
(no longer used) The performance of a duty; an instance of performing a duty.
- […]whan the Quene of riche Arabia sawe all the wyszdome of Salomon[…]⁊ the offyces of his ministers, and their garmentes[…]she wondred exceadingly[…] — 1535
•
(no longer used) An official or group of officials; (figuratively) a personification of officeholders.
- […]For who would beare... The pangs of despiz'd loue, the lawes delay, The insolence of office... When he himselfe might his quietas make... With a bare bodkin? — 1599
•
(euphemistic, no longer used) A bodily function, (particularly) urination and defecation; an act of urination or defecation.
- Cassio.... Whom I, with all the Office of my heart Intirely honour[…] — 1603
•
(figurative, no longer used) A hangout: a place where one is normally found.
- His Office, any Man's ordinary Haunt, or Plying-place, be it Tavern, Ale-house, Gaming-house. — 1699
•
(no longer used) A piece of land used for hunting; the area of land overseen by a gamekeeper.
- All hunt in James Whitendales office. — 1617

verb2

•
To provide (someone) with an office.
- Is he officed in Congressional Relations or is he officed in SCA? — 1966
•
To have an office.
- "I believed that Dave was just doing a favor for his brother," said Somerville, who added that he assumed Lou and Dave officed together. — 1988

forms

officed · officing · offices

Phrases with office

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