Meaning of service In English

• 0 a government system or private organization that is responsible for a particular type of activity, or for providing a particular thing that people need:

  • the postal service

  • US the National Park Service

  • UK the National Health Service

  • UK the ambulance/prison service

  • I've worked in public health services throughout my career.

  • There is a very limited bus service on Sundays.

  • We hope to be operating a normal service as soon as possible.

  • We stopped at the services to get fuel.

• 1 the act of dealing with customers in a shop, restaurant, or hotel by taking their orders, showing or selling them goods, etc.:

  • The only trouble with this café is that the service is so slow.

  • You should leave a generous tip to reward good service.

  • There is a ten percent service charge included in the bill.

• 2 work that someone does or time that someone spends working for an organization:

  • These teenagers all do community service in their free time.

  • She was given the award for a lifetime of public service.

  • her service on a jury

  • Why don't you call the babysitting service?

  • a laundry/ironing service

  • the diplomatic service

  • the security services

  • I may be needing the services of a surveyor soon, as I'm buying a house.

  • The battleship has been in service since 1965.

  • Her mother was in service.

• 3 (work in) the armed forces:

  • He joined the air force in 1964 and spent ten years in the service.

  • All men under 35 were told to report for military service.

  • Service personnel are subject to the Official Secrets Act.

  • a career in the services

  • He was the first member of his regiment to die while on active service.

• 4 a formal religious ceremony:

  • A memorial service is being held on Sunday for victims of the explosion.

• 5 in sports such as tennis, the act of hitting the ball to the other player to start play:

  • She has a very fast service.

• 6 a set of objects such as plates, cups, or other things that are used in providing and eating food:

  • a 24-piece dinner service

  • a tea service

• 7 a check and repair of a vehicle or machine that is done after regular periods:

  • She took the car in for a service yesterday.

• 8 to examine a machine and repair any damaged parts:

  • I'm taking the car in to have it serviced this afternoon.

• 9 to make payments to pay back a debt:

  • The country is still spending $3 million a week servicing debt.

• 10 to provide services to or for someone:

  • We're quite happy to service our customers wherever they are.

  • Together they service 46 buildings, including 37 schools.

  • Wembley stadium is serviced by Wembley Stadium, Wembley Park and Wembley Central stations.

  • The village is small, unspoilt and well serviced.

• 11 the help provided to a customer by someone who works in esp. a restaurant or store:

  • The service in this restaurant is terrible – I’ve been waiting fifteen minutes.

• 12 work done or help provided, esp. for the public or for a person or an organization:

  • [ U ] She was given the award for a lifetime of public service.

  • [ U ] The airplane had been in service (= used) for fifteen years.

  • [ pl ] You should have the services of a lawyer.

• 13 a system, organization, or business that provides for a public need, or the operation of such a system:

  • [ C ] the diplomatic/postal service

  • [ C ] medical/social services

  • [ U ] There is bus service to Newark Airport every twenty minutes.

  • [ U ] My brother runs a car service (= business that rents cars with drivers).

  • [ U ] He spent ten years in the service.

• 14 a formal religious ceremony

• 15 work done for others, such as cleaning or repairing, caring for a building, or making deliveries:

  • This building has five service employees including the super.

• 16 the act of hitting a ball to put it in play in tennis and some other sports

• 17 to examine a machine and repair any parts that are not working:

  • I’m taking the car in to have it serviced this afternoon.

• 18 business activity that involves doing things for customers rather than producing goods, or a single act of doing something for a customer:

  • The bank was the first to offer 24-hour telephone banking service.

  • We haven't actively promoted the email service because we have to be sure we can meet demand.

  • These days there are service jobs that no one ever dreamed about in the 1950s.

  • GDP is a measure of an economy's output of goods and services.

  • The goal is to increase customer loyalty by providing customized products and services.

  • offer/provide a service Career consultants offer numerous services, including résumé polishing.

  • service for sb/sth We provide an internet service for lawyers.

• 19 a system or organization that provides something important that the public needs:

  • the ambulance/health/postal, etc. service

  • The planners have to investigate what local services are available including transport, housing, and schooling for employees' children.

• 20 a government department that is responsible for a particular area or activity:

  • The immigration service has won an important victory in the courts.

• 21 a system of buses, trains, aircraft, etc. that travel between particular places:

  • Passenger traffic registered a sharp rise thanks to the opening of a new ferry service from Liverpool to Dublin.

  • The 18:43 service to Liverpool has been cancelled.

  • Commercial air service is ready to resume today.

• 22 the way that employees of a business, store, etc. deal with customers, especially how quickly and effectively they do this:

  • level/quality/standard of service We constantly seek to improve the quality of service we give to our customers.

  • good/excellent/poor service

  • provide/give service They have provided excellent service in handling problem cases.

  • get/receive service It seems like you never get good service in restaurants these days.

• 23 the particular skills that someone can offer to others:

  • You need the services of a lawyer.

  • offer your services (as sth) He has offered his services as a mediator in the dispute.

  • Until fairly recently the Law Society frowned upon solicitors advertising their services in any way.

• 24 the time an employee spends working for an organization, or the work they do:

  • British labour law gives employees rights dependent upon their length of service.

  • 15/40, etc. years (of) service The amount of the severance payment is based on his 25 years service with the group.

  • Under Germany's constitution, the unions and employers' federations have the exclusive right to negotiate wages and conditions of service.

• 25 a check and repair of a vehicle or machine that is done at regular periods:

  • I'm taking my car in for a service.

• 26 to help someone:

  • Hello, how can I be of service?

• 27 being used:

  • If we find a technology that will work, it could be in service by 2012.

• 28 to make regular payments to pay back a debt or loan, including interest:

  • As growth slowed and prices fell, borrowers were unable to service their debts.

  • The country is still spending $3 million a week servicing debt, twice what it spends on healthcare.

• 29 to collect and keep records of payments from a person or organization that has borrowed money:

  • We service about 350,000 mortgage loans.

• 30 to examine a machine and repair any damaged parts:

  • I'm taking the car in to have it serviced.

  • The 10-year contract involves servicing 11 gas turbines on three deep-water platforms in the Gulf of Mexico.

• 31 to provide a service to someone:

  • service an industry/market

  • We hope to achieve greater efficiency and be better able to service customers.

• 32 used only by people who work in a building or are delivering goods there, not by the general public:

  • a service elevator/entrance