1 serve
Pronounced:
/ˈsɚv/
Function:
verbInflected forms:
serves; served; serv·ingMeaning:
1 a [+ obj] : to give (food or drink) to someone at a meal, in a restaurant, etc. ▪ Soup was served as the first course. ▪ The waiter served our meals quickly. ▪ The restaurant serves excellent Italian food. ▪ Dinner is served. [=dinner is on the table and ready to be eaten] —see also serve up (below) b : to give food or drink to (someone) [+ obj] ▪ The waiter who served us was very nice. ▪ Feel free to serve yourself at the salad bar. [no obj] ▪ You carve the turkey, and I'll serve.
2 [+ obj] : to be enough food for (a particular number of people) ▪ We need to make enough soup to serve [=feed] eight people. ▪ The roast should serve six.
3 [+ obj] : to provide service to (a customer) : to help (a customer) make purchases ▪ I'm afraid all of our salespeople are serving other customers right now. ▪ What can we do to serve our customers better?
4 [no obj] a : to be used or seen in a particular way —+ as ▪ The trees can serve as shelter from the rain. ▪ The organization serves as a model of social responsibility. ▪ The accident serves as [=is] a reminder of the dangers of drunk driving. ▪ Let that serve as [=be] a lesson to you. b : to have a particular result or effect —often + as ▪ Babysitting his nieces served as a test of his patience. —often followed by to + verb ▪ She tried hard but her efforts only served to bring more attention to her lack of experience.
5 a [+ obj] : to be useful or helpful to (someone) ▪ Her quick wit has served her well on many occasions. b : to provide what is needed by or for (someone or something) [+ obj] ▪ The library serves the community. = The library serves the needs of the community. [=provides things that the community needs] ▪ He argued that government too often serves the interests of big business. [=does things to help big business instead of ordinary people] ▪ Arguing with him serves no purpose. [=is not useful or helpful in any way] ▪ If (my) memory serves me (right/correctly) [=if I remember correctly], she is from Los Angeles. [no obj] ▪ If memory serves, she is from Los Angeles. ▪ Many people do not believe that justice has been served in his case. [=that he has been given proper punishment or fair treatment by the legal system] —see also self-serving c [+ obj] : to provide (an area or group of people) with a particular service ▪ This neighborhood is not served with/by garbage collection. ▪ Two elementary schools serve the town.
6 : to hold a particular office, position, etc. : to perform a duty or job [no obj] ▪ They served on the jury. ▪ She served on the city council for years. ▪ He served as the club's adviser. ▪ He served for five years in the army. = He served in the army for five years. ▪ She was elected to serve for a second term. [+ obj] ▪ We honor those who serve our country. ▪ She served a two-year apprenticeship.
7 [+ obj] : to be in prison for or during (a period of time) ▪ He's serving two years for robbery. ▪ She is serving a life/10-year sentence. ▪ He has served time [=spent time in prison] for drug possession.
8 [+ obj] law : to send or give (someone) official legal papers ▪ He served her with divorce papers. ▪ The police officer served a summons/writ on him.
9 [+ obj] : to give respect and service to (someone or something) ▪ She dedicated her whole life to serving God.
10 sports : to throw a ball into the air and hit it over a net to start play in tennis, volleyball, etc. [no obj] ▪ It's your turn to serve. [+ obj] ▪ They flipped a coin to decide who would serve the ball first.
2 [+ obj] : to be enough food for (a particular number of people) ▪ We need to make enough soup to serve [=feed] eight people. ▪ The roast should serve six.
3 [+ obj] : to provide service to (a customer) : to help (a customer) make purchases ▪ I'm afraid all of our salespeople are serving other customers right now. ▪ What can we do to serve our customers better?
4 [no obj] a : to be used or seen in a particular way —+ as ▪ The trees can serve as shelter from the rain. ▪ The organization serves as a model of social responsibility. ▪ The accident serves as [=is] a reminder of the dangers of drunk driving. ▪ Let that serve as [=be] a lesson to you. b : to have a particular result or effect —often + as ▪ Babysitting his nieces served as a test of his patience. —often followed by to + verb ▪ She tried hard but her efforts only served to bring more attention to her lack of experience.
5 a [+ obj] : to be useful or helpful to (someone) ▪ Her quick wit has served her well on many occasions. b : to provide what is needed by or for (someone or something) [+ obj] ▪ The library serves the community. = The library serves the needs of the community. [=provides things that the community needs] ▪ He argued that government too often serves the interests of big business. [=does things to help big business instead of ordinary people] ▪ Arguing with him serves no purpose. [=is not useful or helpful in any way] ▪ If (my) memory serves me (right/correctly) [=if I remember correctly], she is from Los Angeles. [no obj] ▪ If memory serves, she is from Los Angeles. ▪ Many people do not believe that justice has been served in his case. [=that he has been given proper punishment or fair treatment by the legal system] —see also self-serving c [+ obj] : to provide (an area or group of people) with a particular service ▪ This neighborhood is not served with/by garbage collection. ▪ Two elementary schools serve the town.
6 : to hold a particular office, position, etc. : to perform a duty or job [no obj] ▪ They served on the jury. ▪ She served on the city council for years. ▪ He served as the club's adviser. ▪ He served for five years in the army. = He served in the army for five years. ▪ She was elected to serve for a second term. [+ obj] ▪ We honor those who serve our country. ▪ She served a two-year apprenticeship.
7 [+ obj] : to be in prison for or during (a period of time) ▪ He's serving two years for robbery. ▪ She is serving a life/10-year sentence. ▪ He has served time [=spent time in prison] for drug possession.
8 [+ obj] law : to send or give (someone) official legal papers ▪ He served her with divorce papers. ▪ The police officer served a summons/writ on him.
9 [+ obj] : to give respect and service to (someone or something) ▪ She dedicated her whole life to serving God.
10 sports : to throw a ball into the air and hit it over a net to start play in tennis, volleyball, etc. [no obj] ▪ It's your turn to serve. [+ obj] ▪ They flipped a coin to decide who would serve the ball first.
first come, first served —see 2first
serve out [phrasal verb]
serve (something) out or serve out (something) : to complete (a term in office, a prison sentence, etc.) ▪ He vowed that he would serve out his five-year term as chairperson. ▪ She served out her sentence in a prison in New York.
serve (someone) right
—used to say that someone who has behaved badly deserves a particular punishment, problem, etc. ▪ “I hear his wife is divorcing him.” “It serves him right after the way he's treated her.” ▪ “He won't even talk to me.” “(It) Serves you right for lying to him.”
serve two masters
: to give equal support to two different causes, groups, etc. ▪ You cannot serve two masters.
serve up [phrasal verb]
serve up (something) or serve (something) up : to give (food) to someone at a meal, in a restaurant, etc. ▪ That little restaurant serves up some of the best Indian food in the city. —sometimes used figuratively ▪ The movie serves up a ton of laughs. [=the movie is very funny]