Webster's English Dictionary

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office

Cross references:
  1. function               2. position              
 
of.fice \'o.f-*s, 'a:f-\ n [ME, fr. OF, fr. L officium service, duty, 
   office, fr. opus work +] [ME, fr. OF, fr. LL officium, fr. L]facere to 
   make, do - more at OPERATE, DO 1a: a special duty, charge, or position 
   conferred by an exercise of governm ental authority and for a public 
   purpose : a position of authority to exercise a public function and to 
   receive whatever emoluments may belong to it {hold public ~} 1b: a position 
   of responsibility or some degree of executive authority  2: a prescribed 
   form or service of worship; specif, cap :  DIVINE OFFICE 3: a religious or 
   social ceremonial observance : RITE  4a: something that one ought to do or 
   must do : an assigned or assumed du ty, task, or role 4b: the proper or 
   customary action of something : FUNCTION  5: a place where a particular 
   kind of business is transacted or a service i s supplied : as 5a: a place 
   in which the functions (as consulting, record keeping, clerical  work) of a 
   public officer are performed 5b: the directing headquarters of an 
   enterprise or organization  5c: the place in which a professional man (as a 
   physician or lawyer) conduc ts his professional business pl, chiefly Brit  
   6: the apartments, attached buildings, or outhouses in which the activities 
    attached to the service of a house are carried on 7a: a major 
   administrative unit in some governments {British Foreign O ffice} 7b: a 
   subdivision of some government departments {Patent Office}