serve definition | Dictionary.com

serve

[surv]

verb, served, serv⋅ing, noun

–verb (used without object)

1.	to act as a servant.

2.	to wait on table, as a waiter.

3.	to offer or have a meal or refreshments available, as for patrons or guests: Come early, we're serving at six.

4.	to offer or distribute a portion or portions of food or a beverage, as a host or hostess: It was her turn to serve at the faculty tea.

5.	to render assistance; be of use; help.

6.	to go through a term of service; do duty as a soldier, sailor, senator, juror, etc.

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

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

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

10.	to be favorable, suitable, or convenient, as weather or time.

11.	Ecclesiastical. to act as a server.

–verb (used with object)

12.	to be in the service of; work for.

13.	to be useful or of service to; help.

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

15.	to render active service to (a sovereign, commander, etc.).

16.	to render obedience or homage to (God, a sovereign, etc.).

17.	to perform the duties of (a position, an office, etc.): to serve his mayoralty.

18.	to answer the requirements of; suffice: This will serve our needs for the moment.

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

20.	to wait upon at table; act as a waiter or waitress to.

21.	to carry and distribute (portions of food or drink) to a patron or a specific table, as a waiter or waitress.

22.	to act as a host or hostess in offering (a person) a portion of food or drink: May I serve you with some tea and cake?

23.	to act as a host or hostess in offering or distributing (a portion or portions of food or drink) to another: They served tea and cake to their guests.

24.	to provide with a regular or continuous supply of something.

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

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

27.

Law.

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

b.	to present (a person) with a writ.

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

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

30.	to operate or keep in action (a gun, artillery, etc.).

31.	Nautical. to wrap (a rope) tightly with small stuff, keeping the turns as close together as possible.

–noun

32.	the act, manner, or right of serving, as in tennis.

—Idiom

33.	serve one right, to treat one as one deserves, esp. to punish justly: It will serve you right if she never speaks to you again.

Origin:
1125–75; ME serven < OF servir < L servīre, equiv. to serv(us) slave (cf. serf ) + -īre inf. suffix

Related forms:

serv⋅a⋅ble, serve⋅a⋅ble, adjective

Synonyms:
1, 2. attend. 5. aid, succor.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Link To serve

serve (sûrv)

v. served, serv·ing, serves

v. tr.

1. To work for.
2. To be a servant to.
3. To prepare and offer (food, for example): serve tea.
4. To place food before (someone); wait on: served the guests a wonderful dinner.
5. To provide goods and services for (customers): a hotel that has served tourists at the same location for 30 years.
6. To supply (goods or services) to customers. See Usage Note at service.
7. To meet the requirements of; suffice for: This will serve the purpose.
8. To be of assistance to or promote the interests of; aid: "Both major parties today seek to serve the national interest" (John F. Kennedy).
9. To work through or complete (a period of service): served four terms in Congress.
10. To be in prison for (a period or term): served 10 years for armed robbery.
11. To deliver or present (a writ or summons).
12. To present such a writ to.
1. To prepare and offer (food, for example): serve tea.
2. To place food before (someone); wait on: served the guests a wonderful dinner.
3. To provide goods and services for (customers): a hotel that has served tourists at the same location for 30 years.
4. To supply (goods or services) to customers. See Usage Note at service.
5. To meet the requirements of; suffice for: This will serve the purpose.
6. To be of assistance to or promote the interests of; aid: "Both major parties today seek to serve the national interest" (John F. Kennedy).
7. To work through or complete (a period of service): served four terms in Congress.
8. To be in prison for (a period or term): served 10 years for armed robbery.
9. To deliver or present (a writ or summons).
10. To present such a writ to.
1. To provide goods and services for (customers): a hotel that has served tourists at the same location for 30 years.
2. To supply (goods or services) to customers. See Usage Note at service.
3. To meet the requirements of; suffice for: This will serve the purpose.
4. To be of assistance to or promote the interests of; aid: "Both major parties today seek to serve the national interest" (John F. Kennedy).
5. To work through or complete (a period of service): served four terms in Congress.
6. To be in prison for (a period or term): served 10 years for armed robbery.
7. To deliver or present (a writ or summons).
8. To present such a writ to.
To assist the celebrant during (Mass).
1. To meet the requirements of; suffice for: This will serve the purpose.
2. To be of assistance to or promote the interests of; aid: "Both major parties today seek to serve the national interest" (John F. Kennedy).
3. To work through or complete (a period of service): served four terms in Congress.
4. To be in prison for (a period or term): served 10 years for armed robbery.
5. To deliver or present (a writ or summons).
6. To present such a writ to.
1. To work through or complete (a period of service): served four terms in Congress.
2. To be in prison for (a period or term): served 10 years for armed robbery.
3. To deliver or present (a writ or summons).
4. To present such a writ to.
To fight or undergo military service for: served the country for five years in the navy.
To give homage and obedience to: served God.
To act toward (another) in a specified way: She has served me ill.
To copulate with; service. Used of male animals.
Law
1. To deliver or present (a writ or summons).
2. To present such a writ to.
Sports To put (a ball or shuttlecock) in play, as in tennis, badminton, or jai alai.
To bind or whip (a rope) with fine cord or wire.

v. intr.

To be employed as a servant.
To do a term of duty: serve in the U.S. Air Force; serve on a jury.
To act in a particular capacity: serve as a clerk.
To be of service or use; function: Let this incident serve as a reminder to future generations.
To meet requirements or needs; satisfy: a device that will serve well.
To wait on tables: serve at luncheon.
Sports To put a ball or shuttlecock into play, as in court games.
To assist the celebrant during Mass.

n. Sports
The right, manner, or act of serving in many court games.
Phrasal Verb(s):
serve up Baseball To pitch (a ball) over the middle of home plate, where it is likely to be hit hard.

Idiom(s):
serve (someone) rightTo be deserved under the circumstances: Punish him; it will serve him right for what he has done to you.

[Middle English serven, from Old French servir, from Latin servīre, from servus, slave.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Serve

Serve\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Served; p. pr. & vb. n. Serving.] [OE. serven, servien, OF. & F. servir, fr. L. servire; akin to servus a servant or slave, servare to protect, preserve, observe; cf. Zend har to protect, haurva protecting. Cf. Conserve, Desert merit, Dessert, Observe, Serf, Sergeant.]

1. 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.

God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit. --Rom. i. 9.

Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter. --Gen. xxix. 18.

No man can serve two masters. --Matt. vi. 24.

Had I but served my God with half the zeal I served my king, he would not in mine age Have left me naked to mine enemies. --Shak.

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

Bodies bright and greater should not serve The less not bright. --Milton.

3. To be suitor to; to profess love to. [Obs.]

To serve a lady in his beste wise. --Chaucer.

4. 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.

Others, pampered in their shameless pride, Are served in plate and in their chariots ride. --Dryden.

5. 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.

Bid them cover the table, serve in the meat, and we will come in to dinner. --Shak.

Some part he roasts, then serves it up so dressed. --Dryde.

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

Turn it into some advantage, by observing where it can serve another end. --Jer. Taylor.

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

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

10. To work; to operate; as, to serve the guns.

11. (Law) (a) To bring to notice, deliver, or execute, either actually or constructively, in such manner as the law requires; as, to serve a summons. (b) To make legal service opon (a person named in a writ, summons, etc.); as, to serve a witness with a subp[oe]na.

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

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

14. (Tennis) To lead off in delivering (the ball).

15. (Naut.) 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.

To serve an attachment or a writ of attachment (Law), to levy it on the person or goods by seizure, or to seize.

To serve an execution (Law), to levy it on a lands, goods, or person, by seizure or taking possession.

To serve an office, to discharge a public duty.

To serve a process (Law), in general, to read it, so as to give due notice to the party concerned, or to leave an attested copy with him or his attorney, or his usual place of abode.

To serve a warrant, to read it, and seize the person against whom it is issued.

To serve a writ (Law), to read it to the defendant, or to leave an attested copy at his usual place of abode.

To serve one out, to retaliate upon; to requite. "I'll serve you out for this." --C. Kingsley.

To serve one right, to treat, or cause to befall one, according to his deserts; -- used commonly of ill deserts; as, it serves the scoundrel right.

To serve one's self of, to avail one's self of; to make use of. [A Gallicism]

I will serve myself of this concession. --Chillingworth.

To serve out, to distribute; as, to serve out rations.

To serve the time or the hour, to regulate one's actions by the requirements of the time instead of by one's duty; to be a timeserver. [Obs.]

They think herein we serve the time, because thereby we either hold or seek preferment. --Hooker.

Syn: To obey; minister to; subserve; promote; aid; help; assist; benefit; succor.

Serve

Serve\, v. i. 1. 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.

The Lord shall give thee rest . . . from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve. --Isa. xiv. 3.

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

But Martha . . . said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? --Luke x. 40.

3. 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.

Many . . . who had before been great commanders, but now served as private gentlemen without pay. --Knolles.

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

This little brand will serve to light your fire. --Dryden.

As occasion serves, this noble queen And prince shall follow with a fresh supply. --Shak.

5. (Tennis) To lead off in delivering the ball.

Language Translation for : serve

Spanish: servir,

German: servieren,

Japanese: 仕える

More Translations »

serve

c.1175, "to render habitual obedience to," from O.Fr. servir "to serve," from L. servire "to serve," originally "be a slave," related to servus "slave," perhaps from an Etruscan word (cf. Etruscan proper names Servi, Serve). Meaning "to attend to (a customer)" is first recorded 1362; that of "to set food on (a table)" is from c.1386. Sporting sense, in tennis, badminton, etc., first recorded 1585; the noun in this sense is from 1688. To serve (someone) right "to treat as he deserves" is recorded from 1587. To serve the time "shape one's views to what is in favor" is from 1560, translating L. tempori servire; time-server first recorded 1584.

Main Entry: serve
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Forms: served; serv·ing
1 : to deliver, publish, or execute (notice or process) as required by law served on the husband —National Law Journal>
2 : to make legal service upon (the person named in a process) : inform or notify by legal service served with prior notice of a defect —Gene Mustain>
3 : to put in (a term of imprisonment) served five years of her sentence>

serve networking
To be a server, to provide a service.
E.g., "The shttpd serves requested documents to clients over a secure link."
(1997-09-11)

serve

In addition to the idioms beginning with serve, also see break someone's serve; first come, first served; hand to on a silver platter (serve up on a plate).

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