office

noun offices

1. A ceremonial duty or service, particularly Golde (gaue he him)[…]for all maner of veſſels of euery offyce[…]
2. The authorized form of ceremonial worship of a church.
3. Any special liturgy, as the Office for the Dead or of the Virgin.
4. A daily service without the eucharist.
5. 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.
6. Various prayers used with modification as a morning or evening service.

   Similar: Divine Office, breviary, Liturgy of the Hours, liturgy of the hours, canonical hours

7. Last rites. The deuout offices of balming and anointing the dead bodies[…]
8. obsolete Mass, (particularly) the introit sung at its beginning. The office, or Introite, (as they call it).
9. A position of responsibility. When the office of Secretary of State is vacant, its duties fall upon an official within the department.
10. 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.
11. 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.
12. archaic 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.
13. plural, regional A service, a kindness. The secretary prevailed at the negotiations through the good offices of the Freedonian ambassador.
14. figuratively, slang Inside information. Giving the office—is when you suffer any person, who may stand behind your chair, to look over your hand.
15. A room, set of rooms, or building used for non-manual work, particularly The office of the Secretary of State is cleaned when it is vacant.
16. A room, set of rooms, or building used for administration and bookkeeping. The “Pall Mall Gazette” had its offices[…]in Catherine Street[…]
17. 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.
18. 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.

    Similar: department, ministry, bureau

19. figuratively The staff of such places. The whole office was there... well, except you, of course.
20. figuratively, in large organizations The administrative departments housed in such places, particularly He's from our public relations office.
21. Australia, UK, capitalized, figuratively, usually, with clarifying modifier A ministry or other department of government. The secretary of state's British colleague heads the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
22. abbreviation, capitalized, figuratively, usually, in large organizations Short for Holy Office: the court of final appeal in cases of heresy. A Biscayner is capable to be a Cavalier of any of the three habits without any scrutiny to be made of the Office, whether he be, limpio de la sangre de los Moros, that is cleare of the bloud of the Moores or no.
23. figuratively, in large organizations A particular place of business of a larger white-collar business. He worked as the receptionist at the Akron office.

    Similar: workplace, workstead, practice

24. dated, in plural 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.
25. UK, abbreviation, clipping, 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.
26. obsolete A piece of land used for hunting; the area of land overseen by a gamekeeper. All hunt in James Whitendales office.
27. figuratively, obsolete, slang 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.
28. UK, dated, slang A plane's cockpit, particularly an observer's cockpit. I withdraw into ‘the office’, otherwise the observer's cockpit.
29. A collection of business software typically including a word processor and spreadsheet and slideshow programs.
30. obsolete 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?
31. obsolete 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[…]

    Similar: bathroom

32. obsolete 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[…]

Similar: service, divine service, religious service, liturgy, doctor's office, office

verb offices · officing · officed

1. To provide (someone) with an office. Is he officed in Congressional Relations or is he officed in SCA?
2. intransitive 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.