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

Under the multiyear partnership, Disney will serve Kraft Heinz products at its properties throughout North America, and Kraft Heinz will be able to use Disney’s characters on some goods in stores.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

“He not only lost his ability to practice law but also must pay back the stolen money and serve time in prison as well,” Hochman said in a news release.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026

Don't completely ban them, says Kieron - just serve snacks alongside healthier options, like berries or other fruit, replicate snack times at school and don't stress about the odd treat.

From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026

As the company builds a “GPU fleet” in Europe, some of those AI chips will be used by Microsoft to serve its customers, said Mensch, referring to the data centers that house graphics processing units.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

“She did, yes. The report back was encouraging. I see you as a resilient young man. And that’s a trait that will serve you well in this situation and in the rest of your life.”

From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko

Taiwanese giant Foxconn assembles server racks in Jalisco, and serves as a strategic partner to US chip designer Nvidia.

From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026

With our lawsuit, we’re fighting for a free and fair market and a thriving film and television industry that serves creatives and audiences alike.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026

He now serves as Kalshi head of congressional affairs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026

Its surface therefore serves as a much more complete archive of ancient impacts.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 18, 2026

“My son serves on the Council of Defense, for example. And Mr. Nefrger on the draft board, and—” Each word she spoke got higher and more shrill.

From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson

Over the past three years, many Israelis under 40 have served multiple tours of duty, disrupting their family lives and jobs as well as risking their lives.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

A Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Notice was served and the store was closed immediately, the council said.

From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026

Hormuz and a handful of maritime straits around the world have served as the linchpin of global trade since the 16th century and have fuelled geopolitical rivalries throughout history.

From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026

Which seafood may be served in a style called Kilpatrick?

From Slate ● Jul. 21, 2026

I have to eat by myself, standing up in the kitchen after everyone has been served, and all I get are the scraps.

From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar

However, Chelsea were handed a transfer ban in 2019 over breaches relating to youth recruitment and are currently serving restrictions on registering academy players following historical offences dating back to the Abramovich era.

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

The diplomatic machinery is already grinding toward those meetings, with each serving as a checkpoint Beijing wants to clear without a Taiwan arms package in between.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

After serving the search warrant on the phone provider, Rodriguez obtained GPS location pings associated with T.F.’s cellphone that showed he was in Utah.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026

The two-time major winner is a friend of Trump, serving on the President's council on sports, fitness and nutrition, playing golf with him and making an appearance at the White House in May.

From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026

Mom playfully snatched the bowl and scooped a healthy serving.

From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas

Related Words

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