Serve | Mean of serve in English Dictionary

/ˈsɚv/

• Verb
• to give (food or drink) to someone at a meal, in a restaurant, etc.
1. Soup was served as the first course.
2. The waiter served our meals quickly.
3. The restaurant serves excellent Italian food.
4. Dinner is served. [=dinner is on the table and ready to be eaten]
• to give food or drink to (someone)
1. The waiter who served us was very nice.
2. Feel free to serve yourself at the salad bar.
3. You carve the turkey, and I'll serve.
• to be enough food for (a particular number of people)
1. We need to make enough soup to serve [=feed] eight people.
2. The roast should serve six.

• to provide service to (a customer)
1. I'm afraid all of our salespeople are serving other customers right now.
2. What can we do to serve our customers better?
• to be used or seen in a particular way
1. The trees can serve as shelter from the rain.
2. The organization serves as a model of social responsibility.
3. The accident serves as [=is] a reminder of the dangers of drunk driving.
4. Let that serve as [=be] a lesson to you.
• to have a particular result or effect
1. Babysitting his nieces served as a test of his patience.
2. She tried hard but her efforts only served to bring more attention to her lack of experience.
• to be useful or helpful to (someone)
1. Her quick wit has served her well on many occasions.
• to provide what is needed by or for (someone or something)
1. The library serves the community. = The library serves the needs of the community. [=provides things that the community needs]
2. He argued that government too often serves the interests of big business. [=does things to help big business instead of ordinary people]
3. Arguing with him serves no purpose. [=is not useful or helpful in any way]
4. If (my) memory serves me (right/correctly) [=if I remember correctly], she is from Los Angeles.
5. 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]
6. If memory serves, she is from Los Angeles.
• to provide (an area or group of people) with a particular service
1. This neighborhood is not served with/by garbage collection.
2. Two elementary schools serve the town.
• to hold a particular office, position, etc.
1. They served on the jury.
2. She served on the city council for years.
3. He served as the club's adviser.
4. He served for five years in the army. = He served in the army for five years.
5. She was elected to serve for a second term.
6. We honor those who serve our country.
7. She served a two-year apprenticeship.
• to be in prison for or during (a period of time)
1. He's serving two years for robbery.
2. She is serving a life/10-year sentence.
3. He has served time [=spent time in prison] for drug possession.
• to send or give (someone) official legal papers
1. He served her with divorce papers.
2. The police officer served a summons/writ on him.
• to give respect and service to (someone or something)
1. She dedicated her whole life to serving God.
• to throw a ball into the air and hit it over a net to start play in tennis, volleyball, etc.
1. It's your turn to serve.
2. They flipped a coin to decide who would serve the ball first.
• to complete (a term in office, a prison sentence, etc.)
1. He vowed that he would serve out his five-year term as chairperson.
2. She served out her sentence in a prison in New York.
• to give equal support to two different causes, groups, etc.
1. You cannot serve two masters.
• to give (food) to someone at a meal, in a restaurant, etc.
1. That little restaurant serves up some of the best Indian food in the city.
2. The movie serves up a ton of laughs. [=the movie is very funny]
• Noun
• the act or action of throwing a ball into the air and hitting it over a net to start play in tennis, volleyball, etc.
1. She started the game with a powerful serve.
2. It's your serve. [=it's your turn to serve the ball]