self-service

[ self-sur-vis ]
/ ˈsɛlfˈsɜr vɪs /

noun

the serving of oneself in a restaurant, shop, gas station, or other facility, without the aid of a waiter, clerk, attendant, etc.

adjective

noting or pertaining to a cafeteria, grocery, store, etc., designed for the patron or customer to gather food or merchandise from a display or display shelves without the aid of attendants and pay at a cashier's desk upon leaving.
of, for, or pertaining to something designed to be used or enjoyed without the aid of an attendant: self-service banking; self-service elevators.

Origin of self-service

First recorded in 1920–25

Example sentences from the Web for self-service

British Dictionary definitions for self-service

self-service

adjective

of or denoting a shop, restaurant, petrol station, etc, where the customer serves himself

noun

the practice of serving oneself, as in a shop, etc