serve

American  

[surv] / sɜrv /

verb (used without object)

• serves,
  present (3rd person singular)
• served,
  past participle,  past
• serving
  present participle

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.

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verb (used with object)

• serves,
  present (3rd person singular)
• served,
  past participle,  past
• serving
  present participle

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.

21. Slang. to present or embody (a particular aesthetic, persona, or quality) in a confident or captivating way.

noun

• serves
  plural

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

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.

serve British  

/ 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. 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. Also: service. (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. (tr) nautical to bind (a rope, spar, etc) with wire or fine cord to protect it from chafing, etc See also seize

20. informal to pay a person back, esp for wrongful or foolish treatment or behaviour

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noun

1. sport short for service 1

2. a portion or helping of food or drink

serve More Idioms  

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)

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• overserve
  verb (used with object)
• servable
  adjective
• serveable
  adjective
• underserved
  adjective
• unservable
  adjective
• unserved
  adjective
• well-served
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• serves
  plural

Participles

• serving
  present
• served
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• serve
  simple
• serves
  simple
• have served
  perfect
• has served
  perfect
• am serving
  progressive
• are serving
  progressive
• is serving
  progressive
• have been serving
  perfect progressive
• has been serving
  perfect progressive

Past

• served
  simple
• had served
  perfect
• was serving
  progressive
• were serving
  progressive
• had been serving
  perfect progressive

Future

• will serve
  simple
• will have served
  perfect
• will be serving
  progressive
• will have been serving
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of serve

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

Explanation

To serve is to perform a role or function. While your co-worker is out sick, you gladly serve as his replacement until he gets better. Serve comes from the Latin word for servant or slave, but you can serve people without being subordinate to them. You might serve your family hamburgers for dinner, or serve the tennis ball. If you serve a cause, you devote yourself to it. Bug repellant will serve you well on a summer fishing trip. In prison you serve time. If you're elected Mayor, you'll serve a term of three or four years.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

serve serves served serving

That approach could serve as a practical way to study other aromatic materials under normal home conditions rather than relying entirely on laboratory experiments.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 6, 2026

Speaking about what she described as "other parts of his life", she said: "He did serve his time, he made amends, and he wanted to do a lot of good in the world."

From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026

"While our aspiration to serve customers in India remains, we look forward to exploring several options to advance our presence in the market over the long term," Seven & i Holdings said.

From Barron's ● Oct. 6, 2026

His Roth IRA is being asked to serve several purposes, including potentially paying the mortgage and funding his parents’ needs.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026

Willem didn’t try to change people, just to serve them.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

This case thus serves as a golden opportunity for the court to draw an important line.

From Slate ● Oct. 6, 2026

Eagle County Regional Airport—about 90 minutes away from Aspen by car—is expecting to nearly double the number of flights it regularly serves during the summer period.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

On a rowdy New York night, Benjamin Bonzi had match point for a straight-set win against Medvedev in the first round when a photographer inexplicably walked on to court between his first and second serves.

From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026

A wood-burning cast-iron stove serves as both fireplace and heater in the center of the living space.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026

“I’m sorry, Silvertongue, but the fact is I don’t believe anyone. You ought to know that by now. We’re all liars when it serves our purpose.”

From "Inkheart" by Cornelia Funke

Cuomo, 68, who served as governor from 2011 until his resignation in 2021, quietly picked up the waterfront property in June, according to property records.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 6, 2026

Erewhon, which opened as a pop-up about a week later also elicited excitement and some griping, with critics saying the space would be better served by a less expensive option.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 5, 2026

Jupp is a former deputy editor of BBC Two's Newsnight and has also served as Panorama's editor, but left several years before the controversial Trump episode aired.

From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026

Dr. Atlas served as a special adviser to the president and a member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, 2020.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026

“I served the Queen in the past, yes,” he said finally.

From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley

Both kinds of vessels were likely used for preparing and serving food, although the decorated pieces may have been reserved for special events.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 6, 2026

There, he entertained the great and the good with legendary parties, serving with champagne and shepherd's pies.

From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026

The plaintiffs alleged that the drinks contained between 13 grams and 21 grams of sugar per venti serving, based on their milk content.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026

Hastert was released from federal prison in 2017 after serving most of his sentence.

From Barron's ● Oct. 5, 2026

By the start of 1967, nearly 400,000 Americans were serving in Vietnam.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin

Related Words

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