to serve
Pronunciation
/sɝːv/
/sɜːv/

āχāĻ‚āϰ⧇āϜāĻŋāϤ⧇ "serve"āĻāϰ āϏāĻ‚āĻœā§āĻžāĻž āĻ“ āĻ…āĻ°ā§āĻĨ

01

āĻĒāϰāĻŋāĻŦ⧇āĻļāύ āĻ•āϰāĻž, āϏ⧇āĻŦāĻž āĻ•āϰāĻž

to offer or present food or drink to someone
Transitive: to serve food
to serve definition and meaning
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
The waiter served the appetizers before the main course.
āĻ“āϝāĻŧ⧇āϟāĻžāϰ āĻĒā§āϰāϧāĻžāύ āĻ–āĻžāĻŦāĻžāϰ⧇āϰ āφāϗ⧇ āĻĒāϰāĻŋāĻŦ⧇āĻļāύ āĻ•āϰ⧇āĻ›āĻŋāϞāĨ¤
02

āϏāĻžāĻ°ā§āĻ­ āĻ•āϰāĻž, āϏāĻžāĻ°ā§āĻ­ āϏāĻŽā§āĻĒāĻžāĻĻāύ āĻ•āϰāĻž

to initiate play in a sport by hitting a ball or object from a designated location using a specific technique, as dictated by the rules of the game
Intransitive
Transitive: to serve a ball
to serve definition and meaning
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
Who 's serving?
āϕ⧇ āϏāĻžāĻ°ā§āĻ­ āĻ•āϰāϛ⧇?
03

āϏ⧇āĻŦāĻž āĻ•āϰāĻž, āωāĻĒāϝ⧋āĻ—ā§€ āĻšāĻ“āϝāĻŧāĻž

to be of use or help in fulfilling or accomplishing something
Transitive: to serve a purpose
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
Art serves an important function in our society.
āĻļāĻŋāĻ˛ā§āĻĒ āφāĻŽāĻžāĻĻ⧇āϰ āϏāĻŽāĻžāĻœā§‡ āĻāĻ•āϟāĻŋ āϗ⧁āϰ⧁āĻ¤ā§āĻŦāĻĒā§‚āĻ°ā§āĻŖ āĻ•āĻžāϜ āĻĒā§‚āĻ°ā§āĻŖ āĻ•āϰ⧇āĨ¤
04

āϏ⧇āĻŦāĻž āĻ•āϰāĻž, āĻ•āĻžāϜ āĻ•āϰāĻž

to work for a specified organization or in a specific role for a period of time
Intransitive: to serve as holder of a position | to serve in an organization
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
Mr. Russell served as president of the Association for fifteen years.
āĻŽāĻŋāσ āϰāĻžāϏ⧇āϞ āĻĒāύ⧇āϰ⧋ āĻŦāĻ›āϰ āϧāϰ⧇ āĻ…ā§āϝāĻžāϏ⧋āϏāĻŋāϝāĻŧ⧇āĻļāύ⧇āϰ āϏāĻ­āĻžāĻĒāϤāĻŋ āĻšāĻŋāϏāĻžāĻŦ⧇ āĻ•āĻžāϜ āĻ•āϰ⧇āϛ⧇āύāĨ¤
05

āϏ⧇āĻŦāĻž āĻ•āϰāĻž, āĻ…āĻŦāĻĻāĻžāύ āϰāĻžāĻ–āĻž

to produce a specific result or effect
Transitive: to serve to do sth
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
Her words served to reassure the anxious crowd.
āϤāĻžāϰ āĻ•āĻĨāĻžāϗ⧁āϞ⧋ āωāĻĻā§āĻŦāĻŋāĻ—ā§āύ āϜāύāϤāĻžāϕ⧇ āφāĻļā§āĻŦāĻ¸ā§āϤ āĻ•āϰāϤ⧇ āϏ⧇āĻŦāĻž āĻ•āϰ⧇āϛ⧇āĨ¤
06

āϏ⧇āĻŦāĻž āĻ•āϰāĻž, āϏāĻžāĻšāĻžāĻ¯ā§āϝ āĻ•āϰāĻž

to offer assistance or services that help meet the needs or improve the well-being of someone
Transitive: to serve a group
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
The health clinic serves low-income families with affordable medical care.
āĻ¸ā§āĻŦāĻžāĻ¸ā§āĻĨā§āϝ āĻ•ā§āϞāĻŋāύāĻŋāĻ• āĻ•āĻŽ āφāϝāĻŧ⧇āϰ āĻĒāϰāĻŋāĻŦāĻžāϰāϗ⧁āϞāĻŋāϕ⧇ āϏāĻžāĻļā§āϰāϝāĻŧā§€ āĻŽā§‚āĻ˛ā§āϝ⧇āϰ āϚāĻŋāĻ•āĻŋā§ŽāϏāĻž āϏ⧇āĻŦāĻž āĻĒāϰāĻŋāĻŦ⧇āĻļāύ āĻ•āϰ⧇āĨ¤
07

āĻĒāϰāĻŋāĻŦ⧇āĻļāύ āĻ•āϰāĻž, āωāĻĒāĻšāĻžāϰ āĻĻ⧇āĻ“āϝāĻŧāĻž

to offer or give someone food or drink, typically as a gesture of hospitality or during a meal
Ditransitive: to serve sb food or drink
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
He served her a glass of wine to accompany the dinner.
āϤāĻŋāύāĻŋ āϤāĻžāϕ⧇ āĻĄāĻŋāύāĻžāϰ⧇āϰ āϏāĻžāĻĨ⧇ āĻāĻ•āϟāĻŋ āĻ—ā§āϞāĻžāϏ āĻ“āϝāĻŧāĻžāχāύ āĻĒāϰāĻŋāĻŦ⧇āĻļāύ āĻ•āϰ⧇āĻ›āĻŋāϞ⧇āύāĨ¤
08

āϏ⧇āĻŦāĻž āĻ•āϰāĻž, āĻ‰ā§ŽāϏāĻ°ā§āĻ— āĻ•āϰāĻž

to dedicate a portion of one's life, time, or efforts to supporting a cause, institution, or belief
Transitive: to serve an institution or belief
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
She served the community for decades, working with local charities to improve education.
āϤāĻŋāύāĻŋ āĻĻāĻļāĻ• āϧāϰ⧇ āĻ¸ā§āĻĨāĻžāύ⧀āϝāĻŧ āĻĻāĻžāϤāĻŦā§āϝ āϏāĻ‚āĻ¸ā§āĻĨāĻžāϰ āϏāĻžāĻĨ⧇ āĻ•āĻžāϜ āĻ•āϰ⧇ āĻļāĻŋāĻ•ā§āώāĻžāϰ āωāĻ¨ā§āύāϤāĻŋāϰ āϜāĻ¨ā§āϝ āϏāĻŽā§āĻĒā§āϰāĻĻāĻžāϝāĻŧ⧇āϰ āϏ⧇āĻŦāĻž āĻ•āϰ⧇āϛ⧇āύāĨ¤
09

āωāĻĒāϝ⧁āĻ•ā§āϤ āĻšāĻ“āϝāĻŧāĻž, āĻ…āύ⧁āϕ⧂āϞ āĻšāĻ“āϝāĻŧāĻž

to be suitable, advantageous, or occur at a convenient or favorable time
Intransitive
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
The timing of the meeting served, as they had just completed the project.
āĻŽāĻŋāϟāĻŋāĻ‚āϝāĻŧ⧇āϰ āϏāĻŽāϝāĻŧ āϏ⧇āĻŦāĻž āĻ•āϰ⧇āϛ⧇, āĻ•āĻžāϰāĻŖ āϤāĻžāϰāĻž āϏāĻŦ⧇āĻŽāĻžāĻ¤ā§āϰ āĻĒā§āϰāĻ•āĻ˛ā§āĻĒāϟāĻŋ āϏāĻŽā§āĻĒāĻ¨ā§āύ āĻ•āϰ⧇āĻ›āĻŋāϞāĨ¤
10

āϜāĻžāϰāĻŋ āĻ•āϰāĻž, āϜāĻžāύāĻžāύ⧋

to deliver a legal document, such as a summons or writ, to the intended recipient in a formal and official manner in accordance with legal procedures and requirements
Ditransitive: to serve a legal document to sb | to serve sb with a legal document
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
She was served with a summons to appear in court.
āϤāĻžāϕ⧇ āφāĻĻāĻžāϞāϤ⧇ āĻšāĻžāϜāĻŋāϰ āĻšāĻ“āϝāĻŧāĻžāϰ āϜāĻ¨ā§āϝ āĻāĻ•āϟāĻŋ āϏāĻŽāύ āϜāĻžāϰāĻŋ āĻ•āϰāĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧ⧇āĻ›āĻŋāϞāĨ¤
11

āϏ⧇āĻŦāĻž āĻ•āϰāĻž, āϏāĻžāĻšāĻžāĻ¯ā§āϝ āĻ•āϰāĻž

to work for or assist someone, typically by performing duties or tasks
Transitive: to serve sb
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
The maid served the family, making sure their home was always tidy.
āĻĒāϰāĻŋāϚāĻžāϰāĻŋāĻ•āĻž āĻĒāϰāĻŋāĻŦāĻžāϰ⧇āϰ āϏ⧇āĻŦāĻž āĻ•āϰāϤ, āϤāĻžāĻĻ⧇āϰ āĻŦāĻžāĻĄāĻŧāĻŋ āϏāĻŦāϏāĻŽāϝāĻŧ āĻĒāϰāĻŋāĻˇā§āĻ•āĻžāϰ āϰāĻžāĻ–āϤ⧇ āύāĻŋāĻļā§āϚāĻŋāϤ āĻ•āϰ⧇āĨ¤
12

āĻ•āĻžāϟāĻžāύ⧋, āĻ…āϤāĻŋāĻŦāĻžāĻšāĻŋāϤ āĻ•āϰāĻž

to spend a period of time being locked up in prison
Transitive: to serve a sentence or period of time
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
She served her time and was released on good behavior.
āϏ⧇ āϤāĻžāϰ āϏāĻŽāϝāĻŧ āĻ•āĻžāϟāĻŋāϝāĻŧ⧇āϛ⧇ āĻāĻŦāĻ‚ āĻ­āĻžāϞ āφāϚāϰāϪ⧇āϰ āϜāĻ¨ā§āϝ āĻŽā§āĻ•ā§āϤāĻŋ āĻĒ⧇āϝāĻŧ⧇āϛ⧇āĨ¤
13

āĻŽāĻŋāϞāύ āĻ•āϰāĻž, āφāϰ⧋āĻšāĻŖ āĻ•āϰāĻž

to engage in copulation, as a male breeding animal with a female, in order to produce offspring
Transitive: to serve a female animal
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
The stallion served the mare during the breeding season.
āĻĒā§āϰāϜāύāύ āĻ‹āĻ¤ā§æœŸé—´į§éŠŦæœåŠĄä熿¯éŠŦ。
14

āϏ⧇āĻŦāĻž āĻ•āϰāĻž, āĻ•āĻžāϜ āĻ•āϰāĻž

to be employed or work as a member of the military or armed forces
Intransitive
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
She served in the Navy for over ten years before retiring.
āϤāĻŋāύāĻŋ āĻ…āĻŦāϏāϰ āύ⧇āĻ“āϝāĻŧāĻžāϰ āφāϗ⧇ āĻĻāĻļ āĻŦāĻ›āϰ⧇āϰāĻ“ āĻŦ⧇āĻļāĻŋ āϏāĻŽāϝāĻŧ āύ⧌āĻŦāĻžāĻšāĻŋāύ⧀āϤ⧇ āĻ•āĻžāϜ āĻ•āϰ⧇āϛ⧇āύāĨ¤
15

āĻĒāĻ°ā§āϝāĻžāĻĒā§āϤ āĻšāĻ“āϝāĻŧāĻž, āϜāĻ¨ā§āϝ āϝāĻĨ⧇āĻˇā§āϟ āĻšāϤ⧇

(of an amount of food) to be sufficient enough for a particular number of people
Transitive: to serve a number of people
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
This dish will serve four hungry people.
āĻāχ āĻ–āĻžāĻŦāĻžāϰāϟāĻŋ āϚāĻžāϰāϟāĻŋ āĻ•ā§āώ⧁āϧāĻžāĻ°ā§āϤ āĻŽāĻžāύ⧁āώ⧇āϰ āĻĒāĻ°ā§āϝāĻžāĻĒā§āϤ āĻšāĻŦ⧇āĨ¤
16

āϏ⧇āĻŦāĻž āĻ•āϰāĻž, āϏāĻžāĻšāĻžāĻ¯ā§āϝ āĻ•āϰāĻž

to assist customers by providing what they need in a store or business
Transitive: to serve a customer
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
The cashier served the customer with a smile.
āĻ•ā§āϝāĻžāĻļāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻžāϰ āĻāĻ•āϟāĻŋ āĻšāĻžāϏāĻŋ āĻĻāĻŋāϝāĻŧ⧇ āĻ—ā§āϰāĻžāĻšāĻ•āϕ⧇ āϏ⧇āĻŦāĻž āĻ•āϰ⧇āĻ›āĻŋāϞ⧇āύāĨ¤
17

āĻĒā§āϰāϤāĻžāϰāĻŖāĻž āĻ•āϰāĻž, āĻ āĻžāĻŸā§āϟāĻž āĻ•āϰāĻž

to trick or deceive someone, often as a joke or prank
Transitive: to serve sb
Ditransitive: to serve sb a trick
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
I ca n't believe she served me like that — pretending she did n't know what happened.
āφāĻŽāĻŋ āĻŦāĻŋāĻļā§āĻŦāĻžāϏ āĻ•āϰāϤ⧇ āĻĒāĻžāϰāĻ›āĻŋ āύāĻž āϝ⧇ āϏ⧇ āφāĻŽāĻžāϕ⧇ āĻāĻ­āĻžāĻŦ⧇ āϏ⧇āĻŦāĻž āĻĻāĻŋāϝāĻŧ⧇āĻ›ā§‡â€”āϝ⧇āύ āϏ⧇ āϜāĻžāύ⧇āχ āύāĻž āϕ⧀ āϘāĻŸā§‡āϛ⧇āĨ¤
18

āϏ⧇āĻŦāĻž āĻ•āϰāĻž, āφāϚāϰāĻŖ āĻ•āϰāĻž

to treat or handle someone in a particular manner
Transitive: to serve sb in a specific manner
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
She felt that her concerns were not being properly served during the meeting.
āϤāĻŋāύāĻŋ āĻ…āύ⧁āĻ­āĻŦ āĻ•āϰ⧇āĻ›āĻŋāϞ⧇āύ āϝ⧇ āϏāĻ­āĻžāϰ āϏāĻŽāϝāĻŧ āϤāĻžāϰ āωāĻĻā§āĻŦ⧇āĻ—āϗ⧁āϞāĻŋ āϏāĻ āĻŋāĻ•āĻ­āĻžāĻŦ⧇ āĻĒāϰāĻŋāĻŦ⧇āĻļāύ āĻ•āϰāĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧāύāĻŋāĨ¤
19

āϏ⧇āĻŦāĻž āĻ•āϰāĻž, āĻĒā§āϰāĻĻāĻžāύ āĻ•āϰāĻž

to provide a product or service to a group of people or an area
Transitive: to serve sb with a product or service
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
The hotel serves tourists with comfortable rooms and great amenities.
āĻšā§‹āĻŸā§‡āϞāϟāĻŋ āφāϰāĻžāĻŽāĻĻāĻžāϝāĻŧāĻ• āĻ•āĻ•ā§āώ āĻāĻŦāĻ‚ āĻĻ⧁āĻ°ā§āĻĻāĻžāĻ¨ā§āϤ āϏ⧁āĻŦāĻŋāϧāĻž āĻĻāĻŋāϝāĻŧ⧇ āĻĒāĻ°ā§āϝāϟāĻ•āĻĻ⧇āϰ āϏ⧇āĻŦāĻž āĻĻ⧇āϝāĻŧāĨ¤
20

āϏ⧇āĻŦāĻž āĻ•āϰāĻž, āĻĒāϰāĻŋāϚāĻžāϞāύāĻž āĻ•āϰāĻž

to operate or use a weapon, especially in a military context
Transitive: to serve a weapon
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
The soldier served the anti-aircraft gun during the attack.
āϏ⧈āύāĻŋāĻ•āϟāĻŋ āφāĻ•ā§āϰāĻŽāϪ⧇āϰ āϏāĻŽāϝāĻŧ āĻŦāĻŋāĻŽāĻžāύāĻŦāĻŋāϰ⧋āϧ⧀ āĻ•āĻžāĻŽāĻžāύ āĻĒāϰāĻŋāϚāĻžāϞāύāĻž āĻ•āϰ⧇āĻ›āĻŋāϞāĨ¤
21

āĻ¸ā§āϟāĻžāχāϞ āϏāĻš āĻĒāϰāĻž, āφāĻ¤ā§āĻŽāĻŦāĻŋāĻļā§āĻŦāĻžāϏ⧇āϰ āϏāĻžāĻĨ⧇ āωāĻĒāĻ¸ā§āĻĨāĻžāĻĒāύ āĻ•āϰāĻž

to wear or present an outfit or look with style and confidence
Slang
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
Not gon na lie, your outfit serves.
āĻŽāĻŋāĻĨā§āϝāĻž āĻŦāϞāĻŦ āύāĻž, āϤ⧋āĻŽāĻžāϰ āφāωāϟāĻĢāĻŋāϟ āϜāĻŽā§‡āĨ¤
22

āϏāϰāĻŦāϰāĻžāĻš āĻ•āϰāĻž, āĻŦāĻŋāĻ•ā§āϰāĻŋ āĻ•āϰāĻž

to sell or supply drugs to others
Slang
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
She is serving pills to people at the festival.
āϏ⧇ āĻ‰ā§ŽāϏāĻŦ⧇ āĻŽāĻžāύ⧁āώāĻĻ⧇āϰ āĻŦāĻĄāĻŧāĻŋ āĻŦāĻŋāĻ•ā§āϰāĻŋ āĻ•āϰāϛ⧇āĨ¤
01

āϏāĻžāĻ°ā§āĻ­, āĻļ⧁āϰ⧁ āĻ•āϰāĻžāϰ āĻ¸ā§āĻŸā§āϰ⧋āĻ•

the action of putting the ball or puck into play to start a point or match
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
His volleyball serve was difficult to return.
āϤāĻžāϰ āĻ­āϞāĻŋāĻŦāϞ⧇āϰ āϏāĻžāĻ°ā§āĻ­ āĻĢ⧇āϰāϤ āĻĻ⧇āĻ“āϝāĻŧāĻž āĻ•āĻ āĻŋāύ āĻ›āĻŋāϞāĨ¤

āĻļāĻŦā§āĻĻāϤāĻžāĻ¤ā§āĻ¤ā§āĻŦāĻŋāĻ• āĻ—āĻžāĻ›

serving
subserve
serve
App
āύāĻŋāĻ•āϟāĻŦāĻ°ā§āϤ⧀ āĻļāĻŦā§āĻĻ
LanGeek
āĻ…ā§āϝāĻžāĻĒ āĻĄāĻžāωāύāϞ⧋āĻĄ āĻ•āϰ⧁āύ