serve
Americanverb (used without object)
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to act as a servant.
- Synonyms:
- attend
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to wait on table, as a waiter.
- Synonyms:
- attend
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to offer or have a meal or refreshments available, as for patrons or guests.
Come early, we're serving at six.
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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.
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to render assistance; be of use; help.
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to go through a term of service, do duty as a soldier, sailor, senator, juror, etc.
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to have definite use.
This cup will serve as a sugar bowl.
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to answer the purpose.
That will serve to explain my actions.
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(in tennis, badminton, handball, etc.) to put the ball or shuttlecock in play with a stroke, swing, or hit.
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to be favorable, suitable, or convenient, as weather or time.
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Ecclesiastical. to act as a server.
verb (used with object)
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to be in the service of; work for.
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to be useful or of service to; help.
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to go through (a term of service, imprisonment, etc.).
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to render active service to (a sovereign, commander, etc.).
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to render obedience or homage to (God, a sovereign, etc.).
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to perform the duties of (a position, an office, etc.).
to serve his mayoralty.
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to answer the requirements of; suffice.
This will serve our needs for the moment.
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to contribute to; promote.
to serve a cause.
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to wait upon at table; act as a waiter or waitress to.
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to carry and distribute (portions of food or drink) to a patron or a specific table, as a waiter or waitress.
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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?
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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.
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to provide with a regular or continuous supply of something.
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(in tennis, badminton, handball, etc.) to put (the ball or shuttlecock) in play.
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to treat in a specified manner.
That served him ill.
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Law.
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to make legal delivery of (a process or writ).
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to present (a person) with a writ.
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to gratify (desire, wants, needs, etc.).
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(of a male animal) to mate with; service.
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to operate or keep in action (a gun, artillery, etc.).
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Nautical. to wrap (a rope) tightly with small stuff, keeping the turns as close together as possible.
noun
idioms
verb
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to be in the service of (a person)
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to render or be of service to (a person, cause, etc); help
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(in a shop) to give (customers) information about articles for sale and to hand over articles purchased
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(tr) to provide (guests, customers, etc) with food, drink, etc
she served her guests with cocktails
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to distribute or provide (food, drink, etc) for guests, customers, etc
do you serve coffee?
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to present (food, drink, etc) in a specified manner
cauliflower served with cheese sauce
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(tr) to provide with a regular supply of
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(tr) to work actively for
to serve the government
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(tr) to pay homage to
to serve God
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to answer the requirements of; suit
this will serve my purpose
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(intr; may take an infinitive) to have a use; function
this wood will serve to build a fire
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to go through (a period of service, enlistment, imprisonment, etc)
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(intr) (of weather, conditions, etc) to be favourable or suitable
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Also: service. (tr) (of a male animal) to copulate with (a female animal)
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sport to put (the ball) into play
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(intr) RC Church to act as server at Mass or other services
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(tr) to deliver (a legal document, esp a writ or summons) to (a person)
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to provide (a machine, etc) with an impulse or signal for control purposes or with a continuous supply of fuel, working material, etc
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(tr) nautical to bind (a rope, spar, etc) with wire or fine cord to protect it from chafing, etc See also seize
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informal to pay a person back, esp for wrongful or foolish treatment or behaviour
noun
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sport short for service 1
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a portion or helping of food or drink
Other Word Forms
- overserve verb (used with object)
- servable adjective
- serveable adjective
- underserved adjective
- unservable adjective
- unserved adjective
- well-served adjective
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” ( serf ) + -īre, infinitive suffix
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
When he became army chief in 2022, Gen. Munir was set to serve a three-year term.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026
Coming off of Google’s renewed chip deal with Broadcom, an analyst is highlighting just how much semiconductors serve as an advantage to Alphabet.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 8, 2026
San Diego is the biggest of several California cities to try taxing empty houses, and it could serve as a key test case.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026
The cease-fire was weighing on demand for the dollar, which tends to serve as a haven in times of geopolitical uncertainty.
From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026
“When that bear sits on the throne of Kiev, I will gladly serve her. And you will too.”
From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
