Princeton's WordNet

1. serve, service(verb)

   (sports) a stroke that puts the ball in play

   "his powerful serves won the game"

2. serve, function(verb)

   serve a purpose, role, or function

   "The tree stump serves as a table"; "The female students served as a control group"; "This table would serve very well"; "His freedom served him well"; "The table functions as a desk"

3. serve(verb)

   do duty or hold offices; serve in a specific function

   "He served as head of the department for three years"; "She served in Congress for two terms"

4. serve(verb)

   contribute or conduce to

   "The scandal served to increase his popularity"

5. service, serve(verb)

   be used by; as of a utility

   "The sewage plant served the neighboring communities"; "The garage served to shelter his horses"

6. serve, help(verb)

   help to some food; help with food or drink

   "I served him three times, and after that he helped himself"

7. serve, serve up, dish out, dish up, dish(verb)

   provide (usually but not necessarily food)

   "We serve meals for the homeless"; "She dished out the soup at 8 P.M."; "The entertainers served up a lively show"

8. serve(verb)

   devote (part of) one's life or efforts to, as of countries, institutions, or ideas

   "She served the art of music"; "He served the church"; "serve the country"

9. serve, serve well(verb)

   promote, benefit, or be useful or beneficial to

   "Art serves commerce"; "Their interests are served"; "The lake serves recreation"; "The President's wisdom has served the country well"

10. serve, do(verb)

    spend time in prison or in a labor camp

    "He did six years for embezzlement"

11. serve, attend to, wait on, attend, assist(verb)

    work for or be a servant to

    "May I serve you?"; "She attends the old lady in the wheelchair"; "Can you wait on our table, please?"; "Is a salesperson assisting you?"; "The minister served the King for many years"

12. serve, process, swear out(verb)

    deliver a warrant or summons to someone

    "He was processed by the sheriff"

13. suffice, do, answer, serve(verb)

    be sufficient; be adequate, either in quality or quantity

    "A few words would answer"; "This car suits my purpose well"; "Will $100 do?"; "A 'B' grade doesn't suffice to get me into medical school"; "Nothing else will serve"

14. serve(verb)

    do military service

    "She served in Vietnam"; "My sons never served, because they are short-sighted"

15. serve, service(verb)

    mate with

    "male animals serve the females for breeding purposes"

16. serve(verb)

    put the ball into play

    "It was Agassi's turn to serve"

Kernerman English Learner's Dictionary

1. serve(verb)ɜrv

   to give sb food or drink

   the waiter who served us in the restaurant; Could you serve the drinks to the guests?

2. serveɜrv

   to do a job or duty for a person, organization, etc.

   He served in the Senate for eighteen years.; She currently serves as vice president of technology.; soldiers serving their country

3. serveɜrv

   to have a result or effect

   a video game that only serves to teach young people about violence

4. serveɜrv

   to help achieve or provide

   The old dock serves no purpose anymore.; a community center that serves the needs of the town

5. serveɜrv

   to spend time in prison

   to serve a life sentence; He served 22 years.

6. serveɜrv

   to hit a ball to start playing tennis

   ***Who's turn is it to serve?; ***to serve the ball

7. serveɜrv

   indicates you think what happened to sb was sth they deserved

   "The teacher kept me inside at lunch." "It serves you right for lying."

Wiktionary

1. serve(Noun)

   the act of putting the ball or shuttlecock in play in various games

   Whose serve is it?

2. serve(Noun)

   A portion of food, a serving

3. serve(Verb)

   To be a formal servant for (a god or deity); to worship in an official capacity.

4. serve(Verb)

   To be a servant for; to work for, to be employed by.

5. serve(Verb)

   To wait upon (someone) at table; to set food and drink in front of, to help (someone) to food, meals etc.

6. serve(Verb)

   To treat (someone) in a given manner.

7. serve(Verb)

   To be a servant or worker; to perform the duties of a servant or employee; to render service.

8. serve(Verb)

   To be suitor to; to be the lover of.

9. serve(Verb)

   To be useful to; to meet the needs of.

10. serve(Verb)

    To have a given use or purpose; to function for something or to do something.

11. serve(Verb)

    To usefully take the place as, instead of something else.

12. serve(Verb)

    To set down (food or drink) on the table to be eaten; to bring (food, drink) to a person.

13. serve(Verb)

    To officially deliver (a legal notice, summons etc.).

14. serve(Verb)

    To make legal service upon (a person named in a writ, summons, etc.)

    to serve a witness with a subpoena.

15. serve(Verb)

    To be in military service.

16. serve(Verb)

    To lead off with the first delivery over the net in tennis, volleyball, ping pong, badminton etc.

17. serve(Verb)

    To copulate with (of male animals); to cover.

18. serve(Verb)

    To work, to operate (a weapon).

19. serve(Verb)

    To work through (a given period of time in prison, a sentence).

Webster Dictionary

1. Serve(verb)

   to work for; to labor in behalf of; to exert one's self continuously or statedly for the benefit of; to do service for; to be in the employment of, as an inferior, domestic, serf, slave, hired assistant, official helper, etc.; specifically, in a religious sense, to obey and worship

2. Serve(verb)

   to be subordinate to; to act a secondary part under; to appear as the inferior of; to minister to

3. Serve(verb)

   to be suitor to; to profess love to

4. Serve(verb)

   to wait upon; to supply the wants of; to attend; specifically, to wait upon at table; to attend at meals; to supply with food; as, to serve customers in a shop

5. Serve(verb)

   hence, to bring forward, arrange, deal, or distribute, as a portion of anything, especially of food prepared for eating; -- often with up; formerly with in

6. Serve(verb)

   to perform the duties belonging to, or required in or for; hence, to be of use to; as, a curate may serve two churches; to serve one's country

7. Serve(verb)

   to contribute or conduce to; to promote; to be sufficient for; to satisfy; as, to serve one's turn

8. Serve(verb)

   to answer or be (in the place of something) to; as, a sofa serves one for a seat and a couch

9. Serve(verb)

   to treat; to behave one's self to; to requite; to act toward; as, he served me very ill

10. Serve(verb)

    to work; to operate; as, to serve the guns

11. Serve(verb)

    to bring to notice, deliver, or execute, either actually or constructively, in such manner as the law requires; as, to serve a summons

12. Serve(verb)

    to make legal service opon (a person named in a writ, summons, etc.); as, to serve a witness with a subp/na

13. Serve(verb)

    to pass or spend, as time, esp. time of punishment; as, to serve a term in prison

14. Serve(verb)

    to copulate with; to cover; as, a horse serves a mare; -- said of the male

15. Serve(verb)

    to lead off in delivering (the ball)

16. Serve(verb)

    to wind spun yarn, or the like, tightly around (a rope or cable, etc.) so as to protect it from chafing or from the weather. See under Serving

17. Serve(verb)

    to be a servant or a slave; to be employed in labor or other business for another; to be in subjection or bondage; to render menial service

18. Serve(verb)

    to perform domestic offices; to be occupied with household affairs; to prepare and dish up food, etc

19. Serve(verb)

    to be in service; to do duty; to discharge the requirements of an office or employment. Specifically, to act in the public service, as a soldier, seaman. etc

20. Serve(verb)

    to be of use; to answer a purpose; to suffice; to suit; to be convenient or favorable

21. Serve(verb)

    to lead off in delivering the ball

• dienAfrikaans
• يَخْدُمArabic
• слуга съм наBulgarian
• servirPortuguese (BR)
• sloužitCzech
• servierenGerman
• tjeneDanish
• υπηρετώGreek
• servirSpanish
• teenimaEstonian
• خدمتكاري كردنFarsi
• palvellaFinnish
• servirFrench
• לְהַגִישHebrew
• कार्य करनाHindi
• služiti, raditi za kogaCroatian
• (ki)szolgálHungarian
• melayaniIndonesian
• þjónaIcelandic
• servireItalian
• 仕えるJapanese
• 섬기다Korean
• tarnautiLithuanian
• kalpotLatvian
• bekerja sebagai pembantu rumahMalay
• dienenDutch
• tjeneNorwegian
• służyćPolish
• خدمتكاري كردنPersian
• چوپړى كول، نوكرې كول، مزدورى كول: كار كول، كار وركول مزدور كېدل، نو كرېدل: درېدل (يوه معين كارته، لكه په ودونو يا رستورانو كې چې يوه ډله خلكو ته اوبه يا نور شيان ديوه سړي په غاړه وې): كار چلېدل، دكار چاره (پر) كېدل: نمانځل، بندګي كول: خدمت كول: ګټور Pashto
• servirPortuguese
• a serviRomanian
• работать прислугойRussian
• slúžiťSlovak
• služiti (komu)Slovenian
• služitiSerbian
• tjänaSwedish
• รับใช้Thai
• hizmet etmekTurkish
• 服務Chinese (Trad.)
• служитиUkrainian
• نوکری کرناUrdu
• phục vụVietnamese
• 为...服务Chinese (Simp.)