use-icon

HOW TO USE THE DICTIONARY

To look up an entry in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, use the search window above. For best results, after typing in the word, click on the “Search” button instead of using the “enter” key.

Some compound words (like bus rapid transit, dog whistle, or identity theft) don’t appear on the drop-down list when you type them in the search bar. For best results with compound words, place a quotation mark before the compound word in the search window.

guide to the dictionary

use-icon

THE USAGE PANEL

The Usage Panel is a group of nearly 200 prominent scholars, creative writers, journalists, diplomats, and others in occupations requiring mastery of language. Annual surveys have gauged the acceptability of particular usages and grammatical constructions.

The Panelists

open-icon

AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY APP

The new American Heritage Dictionary app is now available for iOS and Android.

scroll-icon

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE DICTIONARY BLOG

The articles in our blog examine new words, revised definitions, interesting images from the fifth edition, discussions of usage, and more.

100-words-icon

See word lists from the best-selling 100 Words Series!

Find out more!

open-icon

INTERESTED IN DICTIONARIES?

Check out the Dictionary Society of North America at http://www.dictionarysociety.com

ser·vice (sûrvĭs)
Share:
n.
1.
a. Work that is done for others as an occupation or business: has done service for us as a consultant.
b. The performance of work or duties for a superior or as a servant: found the butler's service to be excellent.
c. An act or a variety of work done for others, especially for pay: offers a superior service to that of his competitors; provides full catering services.
2.
a. Assistance; help: was of great service to him during his illness.
b. An act of assistance or benefit; a favor: My friend did me a service in fixing the door.
3.
a. The serving of food or the manner in which it is served: The service was good, but the food was lousy.
b. A set of dishes or utensils: a silver tea service.
4.
a. Employment in duties or work for another, as for a government: has been in the company's service for 15 years.
b. A government branch or department and its employees: the diplomatic service.
c. A department or branch of a hospital staff that provides specified patient care: the anesthesiology service.
5.
a. The armed forces of a nation: joined the service right after college.
b. A branch of the armed forces of a nation.
6.
a. The installation, maintenance, or repairs provided or guaranteed by a dealer or manufacturer: a dealer with full parts and service.
b. The provision to the public of something, especially a utility: a town without sewer service.
c. The system or equipment used to provide something to the public: The electrical service was damaged in the storm.
7. Sports
a. The right of serving in many court games.
b. A serve: Her first service hit the net.
8. A religious rite or formal ceremony: held services in the evening; a memorial service.
9. Copulation with a female animal. Used of male animals, especially studs.
10. Law The serving of a legal process, such as a summons or court order.
11. The material, such as cord, used in binding or wrapping rope.
12. An answering service.
tr.v. ser·viced, ser·vic·ing, ser·vic·es
1. To make fit for use; adjust, repair, or maintain: service a car.
2. To provide services to: That cable company services most households in the area.
3. To make interest payments on (a debt).
4.
a. To copulate with (a female animal). Used of a male animal, especially studs.
b. Slang To have sex with.
adj.
1. Of or relating to the armed forces of a country.
2. Intended for use in supplying or serving: a service elevator; the service entrance.
3. Offering repairs or maintenance: a service guarantee; a road service area.
4. Offering services to the public in response to need or demand: a service industry.
Idioms:
at (someone's) service
Ready to help or be of use.
be of service
To be ready to help or be useful.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin servitium, slavery, from servus, slave.]

Usage Note: The verb service is used principally in the sense "to repair or maintain": service the washing machine. Exceptions to this usage include specialized senses in finance (service a debt) and animal breeding (service a mare). Serve means "to supply goods or services to," as in One radio network serves three states.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.