Robert W. Service

noun

Robert W(illiam) 1874–1958, Canadian writer, born in England.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Collins

World English Dictionary

service¹ (ˈsɜːvɪs)

—n
1.	an act of help or assistance
2.	an organized system of labour and material aids used to supply the needs of the public: telephone service; bus service
3.	the supply, installation, or maintenance of goods carried out by a dealer
4.	the state of availability for use by the public (esp in the phrases into or out of service)
5.	a periodic overhaul made on a car, machine, etc
6.	the act or manner of serving guests, customers, etc, in a shop, hotel, restaurant, etc
7.	a department of public employment and its employees: civil service
8.	employment in or performance of work for another: he has been in the service of our firm for ten years
9.	the work of a public servant
10.	a. one of the branches of the armed forces
	b. (as modifier): service life
11.	the state, position, or duties of a domestic servant (esp in the phrase in service)
12.	the act or manner of serving food
13.	a complete set of dishes, cups, etc, for use at table
14.	public worship carried out according to certain prescribed forms: divine service
15.	the prescribed form according to which a specific kind of religious ceremony is to be carried out: the burial service
16.	a unified collection of musical settings of the canticles and other liturgical items prescribed by the Book of Common Prayer as used in the Church of England
17.	sport
	a. the act, manner, or right of serving a ball
	b. Often shortened to: serve the game in which a particular player serves: he has lost his service
18.	(in feudal law) the duty owed by a tenant to his lord
19.	the serving of a writ, summons, etc, upon a person
20.	nautical a length of tarred marline or small stuff used in serving
21.	(of male animals) the act of mating
22.	(modifier) of, relating to, or for the use of servants or employees
23.	(modifier) serving the public rather than producing goods

—vb
24.	to provide service or services
25.	to make fit for use
26.	to supply with assistance
27.	to overhaul (a car, machine, etc)
28.	(of a male animal) to mate with (a female)
29.	(Brit) to meet interest and capital payments on (debt)

[C12 servise, from Old French, from Latin servitium condition of a slave, from servus a slave]

00:10

Robert w. service is always a great word to know.

So is quincunx. Does it mean:

an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle.

a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc.

LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...

service² (ˈsɜːvɪs)

—n
	See service tree

Service ('sɜːvɪs)

—n
	Robert (William). 1874--1958, Canadian poet, born in England; noted for his ballad-like poems of gold-rush era Yukon, such as 'The Shooting of Dan McGrew'; his books include Songs of a Sourdough (1907)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

service

c.1100, "celebration of public worship," from O.Fr. servise, from L. servitium "slavery, servitude," from servus "slave" (see serve). Meaning "act of serving" is attested from 1230. Sense of "duty of a military man" first recorded 1580s, hence "the military as an occupation"

(1706). Meaning "the furniture of the table" (tea service, etc.) is from mid-15c. Serving "a helping of food" is from 1769. Serviceable "ready to serve" is from early 14c.

Edgar: I know thee well: a serviceable villain,
As duteous to the vices of thy mistress
As badness would desire.
"King Lear," Act IV, Scene vi

service

1893, "to provide with service," from 'service (n.). Meaning "perform work on" first recorded 1926.

Matching Quote

"Now a promise made is a debt unpaid, and the trail has its own
stern code."

-Robert W. Service

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Robert W. Service

Ser·vice