duty

noun (plural duties)

• 1a moral or legal obligation; a responsibility:it’s my duty to uphold the law she was determined to do her duty as a citizen a strong sense of duty
• [as modifier] (of a visit or other undertaking) done from a sense of moral obligation rather than for pleasure:a fifteen-minute duty visit

• 2 (often duties) a task or action that someone is required to perform:the queen’s official duties your duties will include sweeping the switchboard Juliet reported for duty
• [as modifier] (of a person) engaged in their regular work:a duty nurse
• military service:combat duty in the army
• (also duties) performance of prescribed church services by a priest or minister:he was willing to take Sunday duties

• 3a payment due and enforced by law or custom, in particular.
• a payment levied on the import, export, manufacture, or sale of goods:a 6 percent duty on imports goods subject to excise duty

• 4 technical the measure of an engine’s effectiveness in units of work done per unit of fuel.