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duty
dereliction of duty
An intentional and egregious failure to perform one's required duty or uphold one's responsibility. The coach was fired for a dereliction of duty when he failed to report the incident.
do (one's) duty
1. To do, undertake, or accomplish that which is expected or required from one. I know it isn't easy facing off against the lowlifes of this town, but you're on the police force and you have to do your duty.
2. To urinate or defecate, especially a house pet. I hate standing out here in the cold, waiting for the dog to do his duty.
above and beyond the call of duty
More than what is expected of someone. Wow, I can't believe you finished our whole report while I was out sick. You really went above and beyond the call of duty on this one!
legal duty
Something that one must do, as required by law. It is the legal duty of homeowners in this community to maintain their property and not let it fall into disrepair.
be duty bound
To be obligated or expected to do something. Now that our parents are dead, I'm duty bound to care for my siblings. As a parent, you are duty bound to protect your child.
above and beyond
Exceeding expectations or requirements. The young officer went above and beyond when he repaired the old woman's home so that the township wouldn't condemn it. I will award extra credit to anyone who does research above and beyond the parameters of the assignment.
*above and beyond
(something) more than is required; greater than the required amount. (*Typically: be ~; go ~.) The English teacher helped students after school every day, even though it was beyond the call of duty.
duty bound
(to do something) forced by a sense of duty and honor to do something. Good evening, madam. I'm duty bound to inform you that we have arrested your husband. No one made me say that. I was duty bound.
go above and beyond one's duty
and go above and beyond the call of dutyFig. to exceed what is required of one. Doing what you ask goes above and beyond my duty. My job requires me to go above and beyond the call of duty almost every day.
in the line of duty
Fig. as part of one's expected duties. When soldiers fight people in a war, it's in the line of duty. Police officers have to do things they may not like in the line of duty.
off duty
not working at one's job. (The opposite of on duty.) I'm sorry, I can't talk to you until I'm off duty. The police officer couldn't help me because he was off duty.
on active duty
in battle or ready to go into battle. (Military.) The soldier was on active duty for ten months. That was a long time to be on active duty.
on duty
at work; currently doing one's work. (The opposite of off duty.) I can't help you now, but I'll be on duty in about an hour. Who is on duty here? I need some help.
relieve one of one's duties
Euph. to fire someone; to dismiss someone from employment. I am afraid I must relieve you of your duties. After the scandal, she was relieved of her duties at the embassy.
shirk one's duty
to neglect one's job or task. The guard was fired for shirking his duty. You cannot expect to continue shirking your duty without someone noticing.
above and beyond something
more than or in addition to something She has things she wants to accomplish above and beyond another championship. Our products are manufactured under the strictest guidelines, above and beyond what government regulations require.
Related vocabulary: (above and) beyond the call of duty(above and) beyond the call of duty
(spoken) much more than should be expected If your waiter goes beyond the call of duty, leave a bigger tip.
Related vocabulary: above and beyond somethingEtymology: first used about police officers, fire fighters, or soldiers who were injured or killed while doing their jobs
do double duty
1. to do two jobs at one time Kudrow does double duty in the show, playing her regular role and the character's twin sister.
2. to be used for two different activities Three conference rooms do double duty as dining rooms when the main dining room is full.
duty bound to do something
required to do something Investigators are duty bound to find out what happened and make a report.
off duty
not working
She goes off duty at midnight. The police officer was charged with robbing Castillo while he was off duty. Usage notes: usually said about soldiers, police, medical workers, and people who work a scheduled period of time
on duty
working
A physical therapist is on duty in the fitness center from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m. He didn't have time to talk about it right then because he was on duty for another three hours. Usage notes: usually said about soldiers, police, medical workers, and people who work a scheduled period of time
in the line of duty
while doing what was expected in a particular job
A police officer was killed in the line of duty while chasing a suspect. Usage notes: mostly used about police and others who do dangerous work
above and beyond something
more than The support given to us by the police was above and beyond what we could have expected. She doesn't receive any extra money, above and beyond what she's paid by the council. The number of hours she puts into her job is definitely above and beyond the call of duty. (= more than is expected of her)
See be above boardbe duty bound to do something
if you are duty bound to do something, you have to do it because it is your duty The government is duty bound to compensate those who lost money. I've been given a certain amount of training so I feel duty bound to stay in the job for at least a year.
do (double) duty as/for something
(American & Australian) to also have another purpose They make an electronic identity card that will do duty for a credit card and pocket calculator. She's really the secretary but she does double duty as the receptionist during Katrina's lunch hour.
heavy-duty
(American & Australian informal) complicated and very serious (always before noun) Studies show that the homeless develop some heavy-duty health problems living on the streets.
in the line of duty
if you do something in the line of duty, or if something happens to you in the line of duty, you do it or it happens as a part of your job He was killed in the line of duty.
above and beyond
More than is required. This somewhat redundant expression-
above and
beyond here both denote excess-often precedes
the call of duty, which means exceeding what a particular job requires. Thus
Putting in overtime without pay is above and beyond the call of duty. Also see
over and above.
active duty
Full-time service, as in Julian is 81, but he still comes to the office every day and is very much on active duty . This term comes from the military, where it stands in opposition to reserve, which refers to troops still in the military but not actively engaged. It is occasionally transferred to civilian matters as well. [First half of 1800s]
beyond the call of duty
call of duty
do one's duty
1. Do one's tasks or what is expected of one. For example, He was only doing his duty when he made the children finish their work. [Early 1500s]
2. Defecate or urinate, as in Please keep the dog outdoors until he does his duty. This euphemism for attending to such needs is heard less often today. [1930s]
double duty
Fulfilling two functions at the same time, as in Our pickup truck does double duty, since it is used for the business and for family outings .
duty bound
Obliged, as in You're duty bound to help your little brother. [c. 1900]
off duty
on duty
At one's post, at work, as in The new nurse was on duty that evening, or The watchman was fired because he was drunk on duty. [Mid-1600s] The antonym, off duty, means "not engaged in one's work," as in Captain Smith was much more amiable when he was off duty. [Mid-1800s]
rack time
and rack duty n. time spent in bed. (Military.) Gee, I need some more rack time. I was on rack duty for my entire leave.
rack duty
verb duty bound
Obliged: You are duty bound to help your little sister and brother.
off duty
Not engaged in or responsible for assigned work.
on duty
Engaged in or responsible for assigned work.
Common Names:
| Name | Gender | Pronounced | Usage |
|---|
| Oluwatoyin | | - | Western African, Yoruba |
| Carlotta | | kahr-LOT-tah | Italian |
| Luis | | ['luis] | |
| Monica | | MAHN-i-kə (English) | English, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Late Roman |
| Unity | | YUW-ni-tee | English (Rare) |
| Eula | | YOO-lə | English |