n.
- a room, set of rooms, or building used as a place of business for clerical, administrative, or similar work.
- a position of authority or service.
▸tenure of an official position.
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(usu. offices)
a service done for others.
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(also Divine Office)
Christian Church the services of prayers and psalms said daily by Catholic priests or other clergy.
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(offices)
Brit. dated the parts of a house given over to household work or to storage.
Etymology
ME: via OFr. from L. officium ‘performance of a task’ (in med. L. also ‘office, divine service’), based on opus ‘work’ + facere ‘do’.