/ sɜːv; NAmE sɜːrv/ verb , noun
■ verb
FOOD / DRINK
1.
serve sth (with sth) | serve sth (to sb) | serve sb sth to give sb food or drink, for example at a restaurant or during a meal :
[ vn ]
Breakfast is served between 7 and 10 a.m.
Serve the lamb with new potatoes and green beans.
They served a wonderful meal to more than fifty delegates.
The delegates were served with a wonderful meal.
Pour the sauce over the pasta and serve immediately.
[ vnn ]
She served us a delicious lunch.
[ v ]
Shall I serve?
[ vn - adj ]
The quiche can be served hot or cold.
2.
[ vn ] ( of an amount of food ) to be enough for sb/sth :
This dish will serve four hungry people.
CUSTOMERS
3.
( especially BrE ) to help a customer or sell them sth in a shop / store :
[ vn ]
Are you being served?
[ v ]
She was serving behind the counter.
BE USEFUL
4.
[ vn ] to be useful to sb in achieving or satisfying sth :
These experiments serve no useful purpose .
Most of their economic policies serve the interests of big business.
How can we best serve the needs of future generations?
His linguistic ability served him well in his chosen profession.
PROVIDE STH
5.
[ vn ] serve sb (with sth) to provide an area or a group of people with a product or service :
The town is well served with buses and major road links.
The centre will serve the whole community.
BE SUITABLE
6.
[ v ] serve (as sth) to be suitable for a particular use, especially when nothing else is available :
The sofa will serve as a bed for a night or two.
HAVE PARTICULAR RESULT
7.
serve (as sth) to have a particular effect or result :
[ v ]
The judge said the punishment would serve as a warning to others.
[ v to inf ]
The attack was unsuccessful and served only to alert the enemy.
WORK
8.
serve (sb) (as sth) | serve (in / on / with sth) | serve (under / with sb) to work or perform duties for a person, an organization, a country, etc. :
[ v ]
He served as a captain in the army.
She served in the medical corps.
He served under Edward Heath in the 1970s.
[ vn ]
I wanted to work somewhere where I could serve the community.
He served the family faithfully for many years (= as a servant) .
9.
serve (as sth) to spend a period of time in a particular job or training for a job :
[ vn ]
He served a one-year apprenticeship.
[ v ]
She was elected to serve as secretary of the local party.
TIME IN PRISON
10.
[ vn ] to spend a period of time in prison :
prisoners serving life sentences
She is serving two years for theft.
He has served time (= been to prison) before.
OFFICIAL DOCUMENT
11.
[ vn ] serve sth (on sb) | serve sb with sth ( law ) to give or send sb an official document, especially one that orders them to appear in court :
to serve a writ / summons on sb
to serve sb with a writ / summons
IN SPORT
12.
( in tennis , etc. ) to start playing by throwing the ball into the air and hitting it :
[ v ]
Who's serving?
[ vn ]
She served an ace.
•
IDIOMS
- it serves sb right (for doing sth)
- serve your / its turn
- serve two masters
—more at first adverb , memory
•
PHRASAL VERBS
- serve sth out
- serve sth up
■ noun
( in tennis , etc. ) the action of serving the ball to your opponent
••
WORD ORIGIN
Middle English : from Old French servir , from Latin servire , from servus slave.