maintain, repair, service
- maintain, repair, service
Use of these words reflects the social attitudes of those who use them fully as much as the basic meanings of the terms themselves. Presumably because many persons feel that the word serve suggests something menial and degrading, such terms as maintenance engineer and appliance custodian have replaced the concept of serving in such terms as repairman and serviceman. (Serviceman is a term still in general use for a member of the armed forces of a country.) Maintain means "to preserve," "to keep in due operation and condition": "The crew is expected to maintain this highway throughout the winter." The act of maintaining may involve making repairs but is usually restricted to mean "watching over," "preventing trouble." Repair suggests restoration or renewal: "The doctor sent him to a dry climate so that he could repair his health." "The only way to repair this refrigerator is to install a new motor." Service is an inclusive word with the meanings of both maintain and repair as well as that of inspection: "This company will service all parking meters in the city." Service is incorrectly used for serve in a sentence such as "This bus line services four counties."
Dictionary of problem words and expressions.
Harry Shaw.
1975.
Look at other dictionaries:
repair — See maintain. See maintain, repair, service … Dictionary of problem words and expressions
maintain — See maintain, repair, service … Dictionary of problem words and expressions
service — See maintain, repair, service See serve, service … Dictionary of problem words and expressions
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service — 1. n. & v. n. 1 the act of helping or doing work for another or for a community etc. 2 work done in this way. 3 assistance or benefit given to someone. 4 the provision or system of supplying a public need, e.g. transport, or (often in pl.) the… … Useful english dictionary
Service — 1. n. & v. n. 1 the act of helping or doing work for another or for a community etc. 2 work done in this way. 3 assistance or benefit given to someone. 4 the provision or system of supplying a public need, e.g. transport, or (often in pl.) the… … Useful english dictionary
service — [[t]sɜ͟ː(r)vɪs[/t]] ♦ services, servicing, serviced (For meaning 14, services is both the singular and the plural form.) 1) N COUNT: usu with supp A service is something that the public needs, such as transport, communications facilities,… … English dictionary
