serve

[ surv ]

verb (used without object)

, served, serv·ing.

1. to act as a servant.

   Synonyms: attend

2. to wait on table, as a waiter.

   Synonyms: attend

3. to offer or have a meal or refreshments available, as for patrons or guests:

   Come early, we're serving at six.

4. to offer or distribute a portion or portions of food or a beverage, as a host or hostess:

   It was her turn to serve at the faculty tea.

5. to render assistance; be of use; help.

   Synonyms: succor, aid

6. to go through a term of service, do duty as a soldier, sailor, senator, juror, etc.
7. to have definite use:

   This cup will serve as a sugar bowl.

8. to answer the purpose:

   That will serve to explain my actions.

9. (in tennis, badminton, handball, etc.) to put the ball or shuttlecock in play with a stroke, swing, or hit.
10. to be favorable, suitable, or convenient, as weather or time.
11. Ecclesiastical. to act as a server.

verb (used with object)

, served, serv·ing.

1. to be in the service of; work for.
2. to be useful or of service to; help.
3. to go through (a term of service, imprisonment, etc.).
4. to render active service to (a sovereign, commander, etc.).
5. to render obedience or homage to (God, a sovereign, etc.).
6. to perform the duties of (a position, an office, etc.):

   to serve his mayoralty.

7. to answer the requirements of; suffice:

   This will serve our needs for the moment.

8. to contribute to; promote:

   to serve a cause.

9. to wait upon at table; act as a waiter or waitress to.
10. to carry and distribute (portions of food or drink) to a patron or a specific table, as a waiter or waitress.
11. to act as a host or hostess in offering (a person) a portion of food or drink:

    May I serve you with some tea and cake?

12. to act as a host or hostess in offering or distributing (a portion or portions of food or drink) to another:

    They served tea and cake to their guests.

13. to provide with a regular or continuous supply of something.
14. (in tennis, badminton, handball, etc.) to put (the ball or shuttlecock) in play.
15. to treat in a specified manner:

    That served him ill.

16. Law.
    1. to make legal delivery of (a process or writ).
    2. to present (a person) with a writ.
17. to gratify (desire, wants, needs, etc.).
18. (of a male animal) to mate with; service.
19. to operate or keep in action (a gun, artillery, etc.).
20. Nautical. to wrap (a rope) tightly with small stuff, keeping the turns as close together as possible.

noun

1. the act, manner, or right of serving, as in tennis.

serve

/ sɜːv /

verb

1. to be in the service of (a person)
2. to render or be of service to (a person, cause, etc); help
3. (in a shop) to give (customers) information about articles for sale and to hand over articles purchased
4. tr to provide (guests, customers, etc) with food, drink, etc

   she served her guests with cocktails

5. to distribute or provide (food, drink, etc) for guests, customers, etc

   do you serve coffee?

6. trsometimes foll byup to present (food, drink, etc) in a specified manner

   cauliflower served with cheese sauce

7. tr to provide with a regular supply of
8. tr to work actively for

   to serve the government

9. tr to pay homage to

   to serve God

10. to answer the requirements of; suit

    this will serve my purpose

11. intr; may take an infinitive to have a use; function

    this wood will serve to build a fire

12. to go through (a period of service, enlistment, imprisonment, etc)
13. intr (of weather, conditions, etc) to be favourable or suitable
14. Alsoservice tr (of a male animal) to copulate with (a female animal)
15. sport to put (the ball) into play
16. intr RC Church to act as server at Mass or other services
17. tr to deliver (a legal document, esp a writ or summons) to (a person)
18. to provide (a machine, etc) with an impulse or signal for control purposes or with a continuous supply of fuel, working material, etc
19. See seize
    tr nautical to bind (a rope, spar, etc) with wire or fine cord to protect it from chafing, etc See also seize
20. serve a person right informal.
    serve a person right to pay a person back, esp for wrongful or foolish treatment or behaviour

noun

1. See service
   sport short for service 1
2. a portion or helping of food or drink

Derived Forms

• ˈservable, adjective

Other Words From

• serva·ble servea·ble adjective
• over·serve verb (used with object)
• under·served adjective
• un·serva·ble adjective
• un·served adjective
• well-served adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of serve¹

First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English serven, from Old French servir, from Latin servīre, equivalent to serv(us) “enslaved person” ( serf ) + -īre, infinitive suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of serve¹

C13: from Old French servir, from Latin servīre, from servus a slave

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. serve one right, to treat one as one deserves, especially to punish justly:

   It will serve you right if she never speaks to you again.

More idioms and phrases containing serve

• break someone's serve
• first come, first served
• hand to on a silver platter (serve up on a plate)

Example Sentences

Logan and I seemed to be good teammates—he was scratching the surface of what would later be a nasty serve, and I liked to relive my baseball-playing glory days by diving for a loose ball whenever possible.

From Outside Online

Nadal’s opponents can’t seem to do the same thing to him with their serve plus one.

From FiveThirtyEight

First, when serving, he’s winning the point on his first shot after the serve, a term that in recent years has come to be called “serve plus one.”

From FiveThirtyEight

Nadal produced eight winners and drew 17 errors from Djokovic on the serve plus one.

From FiveThirtyEight

When Djokovic was serving, he hit six winners and drew only a single error from Nadal using his serve plus one.

From FiveThirtyEight

Placed in drinking water, fluoride can serve people who otherwise have poor access to dental care.

From The Daily Beast

Real Housewives of New Jersey star Teresa Giudice turned herself in to serve a 15-month sentence for bankruptcy fraud.

From The Daily Beast

Serve with the warm sauce and your choice of ice cream, whipped cream, or yogurt.

From The Daily Beast

Krivov was sentenced to serve four years at a general regime penal colony for his fight for freedom and human rights.

From The Daily Beast

But as we are seeing all over the world, one can serve the other.

From The Daily Beast

These Rules (leaving out the Tenor) serves for five bells; and leaving out the fifth and Tenor, they serve for four bells.

From Project Gutenberg

She had carried the baby over to Juana's and left her there, that she might be free to serve the Father's supper.

From Project Gutenberg

He shall serve among great men, and appear before the governor.

From Project Gutenberg

There are four general forms of emphasis which serve as indications of the characteristics of expression.

From Project Gutenberg

The lower class were idle and lazy, and willing to serve any sovereign who appealed to them by ostentation.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• accept
• attend
• complete
• follow
• pass
• perform
• work