serve

serve1 [ sɜrv ] verb ***

▸ 1 provide food/drink

▸ 2 do job

▸ 3 be used for purpose

▸ 4 help achieve something

▸ 5 spend time in prison

▸ 6 provide with something useful

▸ 7 help customers in store

▸ 8 officially give document

▸ 9 hit ball to start play

▸ + PHRASES

1. ) intransitive or transitive to provide food and drink for someone to eat at a meal:

A light meal will be served during the flight.

serve breakfast/lunch/dinner etc.: Dinner is served between 7 and 10 p.m.

serve something with something: All dishes are served with a salad.

serve something to someone: A complimentary afternoon snack is served to all guests.

serve someone something: Carolyn served them tea and cake in the garden.

serve someone with something: The waiter served them both with salmon poached in white wine.

serve something hot/cold etc.: The cheese is best served at room temperature.

a ) serve or serve up intransitive or transitive to put food onto a plate for someone:

We were served huge portions of spare ribs.

b ) transitive to be enough food for a particular number of people:

The recipe serves four as a light lunch.

2. ) intransitive or transitive to do a job or perform duties for a person or organization:

He served more than 20 years in the army.

Frank has served this company his whole working life.

serve as: Mr. Russell served as president of the Association for fifteen years.

serve on: Henry also served on numerous other committees and commissions.

serve in: I met my wife, Rachel, while serving in the Navy.

3. ) intransitive or transitive to be used for a particular purpose, especially not the main or original purpose:

serve as: Their spare room also serves as an office.

serve as a reminder/warning: The decision should serve as a warning to companies that pollute the environment.

serve to remind/illustrate/emphasize/strengthen: His death serves to remind us just how dangerous using drugs can be.

4. ) transitive to help achieve something:

serve a purpose: That's a stupid rule. What purpose is it supposed to serve?

serve someone's interests: They voted for a chairman who might better serve their interests.

serve someone well: His ability to get on with people served him well in setting up his own business.

5. ) transitive to spend time in prison:

serve time: She served time in the state prison for assaulting a police officer.

serve a sentence: He's serving a life sentence for murder.

6. ) transitive to provide a group of people or an area with something useful:

These gas pipes serve the whole area.

serve the needs of: a new hospital to serve the needs of the local community

7. ) intransitive or transitive to help customers buy goods in a store, especially by bringing them things or helping them choose what they need

8. ) transitive to officially give someone a legal document that orders them to do something:

serve someone with a summons/writ/order: She was served with a summons to appear in court.

9. ) intransitive or transitive to hit a ball to your opponent in order to start playing for a point in a game such as tennis

it serves someone right (for doing something)

used for saying that you think someone deserves something unpleasant that happens to them:

I feel awful. It serves you right for eating so much.

,serve `out phrasal verb transitive

to continue doing something until you are officially allowed to stop doing it:

We want you to serve out your full contract.

,serve `up phrasal verb

1. ) transitive INFORMAL to provide something:

The teams served up some highly entertaining football this afternoon.

2. ) intransitive or transitive same as SERVE1 1A:

Aunt Edie served up a lovely roast leg of lamb for dinner.

serve

serve 2 [ sɜrv ] noun count

1. ) a hit of a ball that starts the play in a game such as tennis:

The serve was clearly out.

a ) a particular way of serving a ball:

He's always had a poor serve.

2. ) AUSTRALIAN INFORMAL an instance of telling someone that you do not approve of them or their behavior