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 Definitions of serve  [ɜrv]  

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Definition of 'serve' Random House Webster's College Dictionary 

1. (v.i.) serve
to act as a servant.

2.  serve
to wait on table, as a waiter.

3.  serve
to have a meal or refreshments available, as for patrons or guests.

4.  serve
to distribute a food or beverage, as a host or hostess.

5.  serve
to render assistance; help.

6.  serve
to go through a term of service as a soldier, senator, juror, etc.

7.  serve
to have definite use:
This cup will serve as a sugar bowl.

8.  serve
to answer the purpose:
That will serve to explain my actions.

9.  serve
(in tennis, badminton, handball, etc.) to put the ball or shuttlecock in play with a stroke, swing, or hit.

10.  serve
to act as a server at mass.

11. (v.t.) serve
to be in the service of; work for.

12.  serve
to be useful or of service to; help.

13.  serve
to go through (a term of service, imprisonment, etc.).

14.  serve
to render active service, homage, or obedience to (God, a sovereign, commander, etc.).

15.  serve
to perform the duties of (a position, an office, etc.).

16.  serve
to answer the requirements of:
This will serve our needs for now.

17.  serve
to contribute to; promote:
to serve a cause.

18.  serve
to wait upon at table.

19.  serve
to carry and distribute (food or drink) to a patron or a specific place, as a waiter or waitress.

20.  serve
to act as a host or hostess in offering (a person) food or drink.

21.  serve
to act as a host or hostess in offering or distributing (food or drink) to another.

22.  serve
to provide with a regular or continuous supply of something.

23.  serve
(in tennis, badminton, handball, etc.) to put (the ball or shuttlecock) in play.

24.  serve
to treat in a specified manner:
That served him ill.

25.  serve
Law.

26.  serve
to make legal delivery of (a process or writ).

27.  serve
to present (a person) with a writ.

28.  serve
to gratify (wants, needs, etc.).

29.  serve
(of a male animal) to mate with; service.

30.  serve
Naut. to wrap (a rope) tightly with light cordage, keeping the turns as close together as possible.

31. (n.) serve
the act, manner, or right of serving, as in tennis.


Definition of 'serve' Princeton's WordNet 

1. (verb) serve, service
(sports) a stroke that puts the ball in play
"his powerful serves won the game"

2. (verb) serve, function
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. (verb) serve
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. (verb) serve
contribute or conduce to
"The scandal served to increase his popularity"

5. (verb) service, serve
be used by; as of a utility
"The sewage plant served the neighboring communities"; "The garage served to shelter his horses"

6. (verb) serve, help
help to some food; help with food or drink
"I served him three times, and after that he helped himself"

7. (verb) serve, serve up, dish out, dish up, dish
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. (verb) serve
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. (verb) serve, serve well
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. (verb) serve, do
spend time in prison or in a labor camp
"He did six years for embezzlement"

11. (verb) serve, attend to, wait on, attend, assist
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. (verb) serve, process, swear out
deliver a warrant or summons to someone
"He was processed by the sheriff"

13. (verb) suffice, do, answer, serve
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. (verb) serve
do military service
"She served in Vietnam"; "My sons never served, because they are short-sighted"

15. (verb) serve, service
mate with
"male animals serve the females for breeding purposes"

16. (verb) serve
put the ball into play
"It was Agassi's turn to serve"


Definition of 'serve' Kernerman English Learner’s Dictionary 

1. (verb) serve
to give sb food or drink
the waiter who served us in the restaurant; Could you serve the drinks to the guests?

2.  serve
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.  serve
to have a result or effect
a video game that only serves to teach young people about violence

4.  serve
to help achieve or provide
The old dock serves no purpose anymore.; a community center that serves the needs of the town

5.  serve
to spend time in prison
to serve a life sentence; He served 22 years.

6.  serve
to hit a ball to start playing tennis
***Who's turn is it to serve?; ***to serve the ball

7.  serve
it serves sb right
indicates you think what happened to sb was sth they deserved
"The teacher kept me inside at lunch." "It serves you right for lying."


Definition of 'serve' Webster Dictionary 

1. (verb) serve
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. (verb) serve
to be subordinate to; to act a secondary part under; to appear as the inferior of; to minister to

3. (verb) serve
to be suitor to; to profess love to

4. (verb) serve
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. (verb) serve
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. (verb) serve
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. (verb) serve
to contribute or conduce to; to promote; to be sufficient for; to satisfy; as, to serve one's turn

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

9. (verb) serve
to treat; to behave one's self to; to requite; to act toward; as, he served me very ill

10. (verb) serve
to work; to operate; as, to serve the guns

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

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

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

14. (verb) serve
to copulate with; to cover; as, a horse serves a mare; -- said of the male

15. (verb) serve
to lead off in delivering (the ball)

16. (verb) serve
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. (verb) serve
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. (verb) serve
to perform domestic offices; to be occupied with household affairs; to prepare and dish up food, etc

19. (verb) serve
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. (verb) serve
to be of use; to answer a purpose; to suffice; to suit; to be convenient or favorable

21. (verb) serve
to lead off in delivering the ball


Translation of 'serve' Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary 

Sense: to work for a person etc eg as a servant
He served his master for forty years.

Afrikaans flag Afrikaans: dien Arabic flag Arabic: يَخْدُم Bulgarian flag Bulgarian: слуга съм на
Brazilian flag Brazilian: servir Czech flag Czech: sloužit German flag German: servieren
Danish flag Danish: tjene Greek flag Greek: υπηρετώ Spanish flag Spanish: servir
Estonian flag Estonian: teenima Farsi flag Farsi: خدمتكاري كردن Finnish flag Finnish: palvella
French flag French: servir Hebrew flag Hebrew: לְהַגִיש Hindi flag Hindi: कार्य करना
Croatian flag Croatian: služiti, raditi za koga Hungarian flag Hungarian: (ki)szolgál Indonesian flag Indonesian: melayani
Icelandic flag Icelandic: þjóna Italian flag Italian: servire Japanese flag Japanese: 仕える
Korean flag Korean: 섬기다 Lithuanian flag Lithuanian: tarnauti Latvian flag Latvian: kalpot
Malay flag Malay: bekerja sebagai pembantu Dutch flag Dutch: dienen Norwegian flag Norwegian: tjene
Polish flag Polish: służyć Persian flag Persian: خدمتكاري كردن Pashto flag Pashto: چوپړى كول، نوكرې كول، مزد
Portuguese flag Portuguese: servir Romanian flag Romanian: a servi Russian flag Russian: работать прислугой
Slovak flag Slovak: slúžiť Slovenian flag Slovenian: služiti (komu) Serbian flag Serbian: služiti
Swedish flag Swedish: tjäna Thai flag Thai: รับใช้ Turkish flag Turkish: hizmet etmek
Taiwanese flag Taiwanese: 服務 Ukrainian flag Ukrainian: служити Urdu flag Urdu: نوکری کرنا
Vietnamese flag Vietnamese: phục vụ Chinese flag Chinese: 为...服务

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'serve' - Nearby Entries  

servant  servant girl  servant's entrance  serve  serve up  serve well  server  



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