office

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. A place in which business, clerical, or professional activities are conducted.
2. n. The administrative personnel, executives, or staff working in such a place.
3. n. A duty or function assigned to or assumed by someone. See Synonyms at function.
4. n. A position of authority, duty, or trust given to a person, as in a government or corporation: the office of vice president.
5. n. A subdivision of a governmental department: the U.S. Patent Office.
6. n. A major executive division of a government: the British Home Office.
7. n. A public position: seek office.
8. n. Chiefly British The parts of a house, such as the laundry and kitchen, in which servants carry out household work.
9. n. A usually beneficial act performed for another. Often used in the plural.
10. n. Ecclesiastical A ceremony, rite, or service, usually prescribed by liturgy, especially:
11. n. Ecclesiastical The canonical hours.
12. n. Ecclesiastical A prayer service in the Anglican Church, such as Morning or Evening Prayer.
13. n. Ecclesiastical A ceremony, rite, or service for a special purpose, especially the Office of the Dead.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. Service; duty or duties to the performance of which a person is appointed; function assigned by a superior authority; hence, employment; business; that which one undertakes or is expected to do.
2. n. That which is performed or is intended or assigned to be done by a particular thing, or which anything is fitted to perform or customarily performs; function.
3. n. A position or situation to which certain duties are attached; a post the possession of which imposes certain duties upon the possessor and confers authority for their performance; a post or place held by an officer, an official, or a functionary.
4. n. Specifically, a position of authority under a government: as, a man in office; to accept office. In law: The right and duty conferred on an individual to perform any part of the functions of government, and receive such compensation, if any, as the law may affix to the service: more specifically called public office. It implies authority to exercise some part of the power of the state, a tenure of right therein, some continuous duration, and usually emoluments. It is often defined simply as a public charge or employment; but there are many instances of public charge or employment which are not in law deemed offices, such as the service of a janitor, or that of a person designated by special act to buy goods for public use. In early English law office was regarded as a right, and could be conferred on a man and his heirs. In United States law it is a duty or agency conferred for public benefit; and, although the tenure is to some extent matter of right, the compensation is subject to change by the legislature, unless constitutionally fixed.
5. n. In old English law, jurisdiction; bailiwick: as, a constable sworn “to prevent all bloodshed, outcries, affrays, and rescouses [rescues] done within his office.”
6. n. Inquest of office (which see, under inquest).
7. n. A building or room in which one transacts business or discharges his professional duties: as, a lawyers or doctor's office; the office of a factory or lumber-yard; especially, a place where public business is transacted: as, the county clerk's office; the post-office; the war-office: also (in the plural), the apartments wherein domestics discharge the several duties attached to a house, as kitchens, pantries, brew-houses, and the like, along with outhouses, such as the stables, etc., of a mansion or palace, or the barns, cow-houses, etc., of a farm.
8. n. The persons collectively who transact business in an office: often applied specifically to an insurance company: as, a fire-office.
9. n. An act of good or ill voluntarily tendered (usually in a good sense); service: usually in the plural.
10. n. Eccles.: The prescribed order or form for a service of the church, or for devotional use, or the service so prescribed; especially, the forms for the canonical hours collectively (the divine office): as, the communion office, the confirmation office, the office of prime, etc.; to recite office.
11. n. In the Mozarabic and in some old Gallican and monastic liturgies, in the Uses of Sarum and York, and in the Anglican Prayer-book of 1549, the introit. Also officium.
12. n. In canon law, a benefice which carries no jurisdiction with it.
13. n. Mark of authority; badge of office.
14. n. See the qualifying words.
15. n. Synonyms Business, Pursuit, etc. (see occupation), post, situation, place, capacity.
16. To perform in the way of office or service; serve; perform; transact.
17. To intrust with an office; place in an office.
18. To move by means of office or by exercise of official authority.

Wiktionary

1. n. A building or room where clerical or professional duties are performed.
2. n. A bureau, an administrative unit of government.
3. n. A position of responsibility of some authority within an organisation.
4. n. Mediation or help in resolving a dispute.
5. n. rite, ceremonial observance of social or religious nature
6. n. religious service, especially a liturgy officiated by a Christian priest or minister
7. n. major administrative division, notably in certain governmental administrations, either at ministry level (e.g. the British Home Office) or within or dependent on such a department
8. n. a task that one feels obliged to do
9. n. The parts of a house given over to household work, storage etc.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. That which a person does, either voluntarily or by appointment, for, or with reference to, others; customary duty, or a duty that arises from the relations of man to man.
2. n. A special duty, trust, charge, or position, conferred by authority and for a public purpose; a position of trust or authority
3. n. A charge or trust, of a sacred nature, conferred by God himself.
4. n. That which is performed, intended, or assigned to be done, by a particular thing, or that which anything is fitted to perform; a function; -- answering to duty in intelligent beings.
5. n. The place where any kind of business or service for others is transacted; a building, suite of rooms, or room in which public officers or workers in any organization transact business
6. n. The company or corporation, or persons collectively, whose place of business is in an office.
7. n. The apartments or outhouses in which the domestics discharge the duties attached to the service of a house, as kitchens, pantries, stables, etc.
8. n. Any service other than that of ordination and the Mass; any prescribed religious service.
9. v. To perform, as the duties of an office; to discharge.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. an administrative unit of government
2. n. a religious rite or service prescribed by ecclesiastical authorities
3. n. professional or clerical workers in an office
4. n. a job in an organization
5. n. (of a government or government official) holding an office means being in power
6. n. the actions and activities assigned to or required or expected of a person or group
7. n. place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed