serve Hear it!

serve Definition

serve (sʉrv)

transitive verb served, serv′·ing

  1. to work for as a servant
    1. to do services or duties for; give service to; aid; assist; help
    2. to give obedience and reverent honor to (God, one's lord, etc.)
    3. Archaic to pay court to (a lady)
  3. to do military or naval service for
  4. to pass or spend (a term of imprisonment, military service, etc.) to serve a year in prison
    1. to carry out the duties connected with (a position, office, etc.)
    2. to act as server for (Mass, Benediction, etc.)
    1. to wait on (customers), as in a store
    2. to provide (customers, clients, or users) with goods or services, esp. professional services
    3. to provide (goods) for customers; supply
    1. to prepare and offer (food, etc.) in a certain way serve the beef with rice
    2. to offer or set food, etc. before (a person)
    3. to give someone a portion or portions of (food, etc.) at the table please serve me some peas
    1. to meet the needs or satisfy the requirements of a tool to serve many purposes
    2. to promote or further to serve the national interest
  9. to be used by a hospital that serves the entire city
  10. to function or perform for if memory serves me well
  11. to behave toward; treat to be cruelly served
    1. to deliver (a legal instrument, as a summons)
    2. to deliver a legal instrument to; esp., to present with a writ
  13. to hit (a tennis ball, etc.) to one's opponent in order to start play
  14. to copulate with (a female): said of an animal
  15. Naut. to put a binding around in order to protect or strengthen (rope, etc.)

Etymology: ME serven < OFr servir < L servire, to serve < servus, servant, slave: see serf

intransitive verb

  1. to work as a servant
  2. to be in service; do service to serve in the navy
    1. to carry out the duties connected with a position, office, etc.
    2. to act as server for Mass, Benediction, etc.
  4. to be used or usable; be of service; function
  5. to meet needs or satisfy requirements
  6. to provide guests with something to eat or drink, as by waiting on table
  7. to be suitable or favorable: said of weather, wind, etc.
  8. to start play by hitting the ball, etc. to one's opponent, as in tennis

noun

the act or manner of serving the ball in tennis, etc., or one's turn to serve

serve Idioms

serve someone right

to be what someone deserves, for doing something wrong or foolish

serve Synonyms

serve

v.

  1. To fulfill an obligation

    carry out, complete, hear duty's call, hearken to the call of duty, obey the call of one's country, acquit oneself of an obligation, subserve, discharge one's duty, live up to one's duty.

    Antonyms betray*, dishonor*, disgrace. *

  2. To work for

    be employed by, labor, toil, carry on a trade, be in the employ of; see also work 2.

  3. To help

    give aid, assist, be of assistance; see help 1.

  4. To serve at table

    wait on, attend, help one to food, help.

  5. To obey

    follow, accept, agree; see obey 2.

serve Law Definition

v

  1. To deliver a legal document, especially a process or notice; to present a legal notice or subpoena to a person as required by law.
  2. To spend time in the armed forces or in some uniformed service (police, fire, and so on). See also service.
serve Usage Examples

Object

  • notice: Whole streets are being bought up by Hebrew syndicates, whose first act is to serve notice on all Gentile tenants.
  • purpose: I am sure these gates served that purpose well.
  • sentence: A jury at Bristol Crown Court found him guilty and he is serving a life sentence at Gartree jail in Leicestershire.
  • dish: Place haunch on serving dish and pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the roasting tin.
  • basis: Tickets will be issued on a first come first served basis.
  • food: Children will be catered for from the specially prepared childrenâs menu, serving only fresh food, prepared to order.

Preposition: on

  • committee: Committee Members may not serve on any one committee for more than two terms.

Preposition: at

  • lunchtime: Superb food is served at lunchtime and evenings with a printed menu, lunchtime ` lite bite ' selection, plus a specials board.

Preposition: as

  • reminder: The focus on food and water served as a poignant reminder that trade is not just about economics and business.
  • catalyst: Minerals and trace elements serve as vital catalysts for the biological reactions that take place within the body.
  • introduction: These documents were to serve as an introduction and to teach Chen to understand his own role in the 1925-27 period.
  • warning: If you did not, well then, this review should have served as the warning you were expecting.

Adjective complement

  • hot: Serve hot with custard, cream or ice cream.

Infinitive complement

  • remind: If that is the case, the incident serves to remind us that Jesus has the authority to pass God's judgment.
  • underline: A wonderfully counterbalanced performance graveside from Audrey served only to underline the significance and excellence of the episodes.
  • reinforce: The results of the hearing served only to reinforce the proper view of the evidence presented to the officers in April.
  • emphasize: I think this serves to emphasize further the viewer looking with a kind of voyeuristic gaze into the world.
  • confuse: Further discussion on the point would only serve to confuse.

Preposition: in

  • army: He isn't trusted to serve in the army.
  • RAF: He worked for Pearl Assurance Company as a clerk before serving in the RAF during the Second World War.
serve Quotes

Choose you this day whom ye will serve† but as for me and my house, we will serve the L.

—Bible (Old Testament)

All people that on earth do dwell, Sing to the Lord with cheerful voice; Him serve with fear, His praise forth tell, Come ye before Him, and rejoice.

—Kethe,William   d. c.1608

   Reason is, and ought only to be the slave of the passions, and can never pretend to any other office than to serve and obey them.

—Humboldt, Alexander, Baron von

In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. Praise belongs to God, the Lord of all Being, the All-merciful, the All-compassionate the Master of the Day of Doom. Thee only we serve; toThee alone we pray for succour. Guide us in the straight path, the path of those whomThou hast blessed, not of those against whomThou art wrathful, nor of those who are astray.

—The Koran