Word.ws English Dictionary

serve

/sɜːv//sɝv/

serve verb: to be a formal servant for (a god or deity); to worship in an official capacity.

serve: to be a formal servant for (a god or deity); to worship in an official capacity
Image: Nathaniel C. Sheetz, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Verb

serve (third-person singular simple present serves, present participle serving, simple past and past participle served)

  1. (personal, transitive) To be a formal servant for (a god or deity); to worship in an official capacity.
    • And yet this is not the office of a Priest, but of Him whom the Priest should serve.1889, Philip Schaff, translating St. Chrysostom, Homilies, XIV
  2. (personal, transitive) To be a servant for; to work for, to be employed by.
    • And truly, Mrs. Abigal, I muſt needs ſay, I ſerv'd my Maſter contentedly, vvhile he vvas living; but I vvill ſerve no Man living (that is, no Man that is not living) vvithout double VVages.1716 March 21 (first performance; Gregorian calendar), [Joseph Addison], The Drummer; or, The Haunted House. A Comedy. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson […], published 1716 (indicated as 1715), →OCLC...
    • […]his lordship was out of humour. That was the way Chollacombe described as knaggy an old gager as ever Charles had had the ill-fortune to serve.1959, Georgette Heyer, chapter 1, in The Unknown Ajax
  3. (personal, transitive) To wait upon (someone) at table; to set food and drink in front of, to help (someone) to food, meals etc.
    • That night Annie served him grilled halibut and English peas, plus tomatoes, of course, and a salad.2007, Larry McMurty, When the Light Goes
  4. (factive, intransitive, personal) To render service by being a servant, worker, employee, or officeholder; to hold those roles and perform their duties.
    • They also serve who only stand and wait.1673, John Milton, On His Blindness
  5. (personal, transitive) To set down (food or drink) on the table to be eaten; to bring (food, drink) to a person.
    • About twenty minutes after waiters served the soup, a guest got up and left.2009, Dominic A Pacyga, Chicago: A Biography, page 195
  6. (archaic, transitive) To treat (someone) in a given manner.
    • Herein thou haſt done good ſeruice to thy country:
      VVere all inhumaine ſlaues ſo ſerued as he,
      England would be ciuill, and from all ſuch dealings free.1593, anonymous author, The Life and Death of Iacke Straw […], →OCLC, Act I
    • I mock them all who have served me ill of late and chiefly this cheat of Judah, whose temple we have plundered and whose golden vessels are my wash-pots.1924, H. Rider Haggard, Belshazzar
  7. (archaic, transitive) To be suitor to; to be the lover of.
    • That gentle Lady, whom I loue and serue.1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto VII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC
  8. (transitive) To be useful to; to meet the needs of.
    • Will somebody please explain to these people that the values of cultural diversity are not served by an ad placing a menorah under a fucking Christmas tree!1989 December 24, Read Weaver, “Xmas And The Rest Of Us”, in Gay Community News, volume 17, number 24, page 4
    • So, while the sycophantic liberal media calls any and all opposition to Obama racist, they give Obama carte blanche to exploit his race whenever it serves his purpose.2010 October 12, Lloyd Marcus, “So much for the 'post-racial' president”, in The Guardian
  9. (intransitive) To have a given use or purpose; to function for something or to do something.
    • The bust also served to remind the public that the Mafia is not harmless.2011 January 27, “Borgata bust”, in The Economist
    • Creating a complete map of the human connectome would therefore be a monumental milestone but not the end of the journey to understanding how our brains work. The achievement will transform neuroscience and serve as the starting point for asking questions we could not otherwise have answered,[…].2012 March-April, Terrence J. Sejnowski, “Well-connected Brains”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 2, page 171
  10. (intransitive) To usefully take the place as, instead of something else.
    • Orion hit a rabbit once; but though sore wounded it got to the bury, and, struggling in, the arrow caught the side of the hole and was drawn out.[…]. Ikey the blacksmith had forged us a spearhead after a sketch from a picture of a Greek warrior; and a rake-handle served as a shaft.1879, R[ichard] J[efferies], chapter II, in The Amateur Poacher, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], →OCLC
    • Maybe the volcanic eruption will serve as a wake-up call to such companies that they need to modernise their risk management.2010 April 20, “Not up in the air”, in The Economist
  11. (transitive) To officially deliver (a legal notice, summons etc.).
    • a document served on the tenant
    • On the morning of February 28, 1993, ATF agents gathered at a staging area near Waco and prepared to serve a search warrant on the Branch Davidians' residence.2008 April, Pamela Colloff, “The Fire That Time”, in Texas Monthly, Austin: Emmis Publishing, page 158
  12. (transitive) To make legal service upon (a person named in a writ, summons, etc.)
    • to serve a witness with a subpoena
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  1. (intransitive, transitive) To lead off with the first delivery over the net in tennis, volleyball, ping pong, badminton etc.
    • In women's tennis the need to serve more effectively has become greater in recent years because the game is being played more aggressively, and rallies are becoming shorter as a result.2007, Rob Antoun, Women's Tennis Tactics, page 2
  2. (transitive) To copulate with (of male animals); to cover.
    • Conception means that a cow is served by a bull and that she becomes pregnant.1996, Puck Bonnier et al., Dairy Cattle Husbandry, Agromisa Foundation 2004
  3. (intransitive) To be in military service.
    • Some reports suggested he would quit the army if he was not allowed to serve abroad in a war zone.2007 May 16, Peter Walker, The Guardian
  4. (transitive) To work, to operate (a weapon).
    • John T. Greble, of the 2d regular artillery, was likewise killed instantly by a ball through the head, while serving his gun in the face of the foe.1864, Horace Greeley, The American Conflict
  5. (transitive) To work through (a given period of time in prison, a sentence).
    • Several years ago Ernie was arrested for crossing the beach after curfew and served 58 days in jail.1987 October, Charles E. Cobb, Jr., “North Carolina's Outer Banks”, in National Geographic, volume 172, number 4, page 508
    • The Guangzhou Daily reported that Shi Chunlong, 20, who organised the incident, was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Hou Bin, who pulled out of the attack after helping to plan it, will serve 12 years.2010 December 1, Tania Branigan, The Guardian
  6. To wind spun yarn etc. tightly around (a rope or cable, etc.) so as to protect it from chafing or from the weather.
  7. (transitive) To perform (a public obligation).
    • I've received a summons for jury duty. It says I serve one day or one trial.
    • She served the office of mayor five years ago.
  8. (ambitransitive, slang) To provide crack cocaine (to), usually by selling, dealing, or distributing.
    • Once I began selling crack, money was no issue. I would be out 2-3 days at a time, up for 24 hours a day. It was a full time job, serving crack fiends.2006, Stacey Green, Inside...the Mind of a Man!, page 18
    • Tim told her that she could make a little money on the side by serving crack-cocaine.2010, Keith Norton, Crack Spell
  9. (intransitive, LGBTQ slang and African-American Vernacular) To present an attractive personal appearance.
    • […] Angela Bassett, serving for the gods in regal headdresses and flowing white dreadlocks as T'Challa's mother, […]2017, John Boone, “Inside Marvel Studios: Secrets About 'Black Panther,' 'Captain Marvel,' 'Thor: Ragnarok' & More!”, in ET Online
    1. (transitive, LGBTQ slang and African-American Vernacular) To attractively display (something, especially a body part) as part of one's personal appearance.
      • I feel the same way about Ashley Monroe too, who was her usual sweet self as she came through serving cleavage to the max.2016, Delores Shante, “Tiffany Foxx’s Black Friday”, in The St. Louis American, archived from the original on 07 Feb 2021
      • Wearing an itty-bitty black bikini and mirror-like sunnies, she's serving face.2019, Alyssa Morin, “Kylie Jenner and Her BFF Stassie Pose in Matching Itty-Bitty Bikinis”, in E! Online
    2. (transitive, LGBTQ slang and African-American Vernacular) To evoke (something, especially a person) with one's personal appearance.
      • Serving Meryl Streep in Mamma Mia! realness, and we’re into it.2019, Emma Kelly, “Jennifer Aniston is ‘dating again’ and ‘staying in touch’ with ex-husband Brad Pitt”, in Metro UK
      • Dior’s collection was serving major Bridgerton vibes, and I am definitely taking notes.2021, Bella Gerard, “These Paris Fashion Week SS21 Couture Looks Give Me So Much Serotonin”, in Stylecaster

Noun

serve (plural serves)

  1. An act of putting the ball or shuttlecock in play in various games.
    • Whose serve is it?
    • He had no power serve of his own, no backhand, no volley, no lob, no idea of pace or tactics.1961 January 13, Marshall Smith, “From Waif to a Winner, the Clown of the Courts”, in Life, page 99
    Synonyms:
    service
  2. (Australia) A portion of food or drink, a serving.
    • The night before your event, base your evening meal on high-carbohydrate foods with a small serve of lean protein.2004, Susanna Holt, Fitness Food: The Essential Guide to Eating Well and Performing Better, Australia: Murdoch Books, page 23
    • Come here for a cappuccino that could hold its own on Via Veneto in Rome (€2) and a serve of their crunchy fresh cheese börek.2007, Verity Campbell, Turkey, Lonely Planet, page 142
    Synonyms:
    serving
  3. (gay slang and African-American Vernacular) An impressive presentation (especially of a person's appearance).
    • That white eyeliner is such a serve.
    • And, of course, there’s the video, which didn’t need to be such a serve since the song slapped so hard. But, it’s still iconic years later.2019, Mathew Rodriguez, “The Official Ranking of Every Track on Britney Spears’ Debut Album”, in Out.com

serve meaning in Hindi, Tamil, Marathi and Urdu

serve in Hindi

to work for
खिलाना khilānā
to bring food to
खिलाना khilānā

serve in Tamil

பரிமாறு, தொண்டு செய், சேவை செய்

serve in Marathi

to serve
वाढणे vāḍhṇe

serve in Urdu

خمدت کرنا, نوکری کرنا, پانی بھرنا
More languagesFewer languages
serve in Bengali
পরিবেশন করা, সেবা করা, হানা, সরবরাহ করা
serve in Telugu
సేవించు sēviñcu, కొలుచు kolucu
serve in Malayalam
സേവിക്കുക sēvikkuka
serve in Kannada
ಓಲಗಿಸು ōlagisu
serve in Punjabi
ਛਕਾਉਣਾ chakāuṇā
serve in Gujarati
પીરસવું pīrasvũ
serve in Odia
ବାଢ଼ିବା bāṛhibā
serve in Sanskrit
सापयति sāpáyati, अम् am, सेव् sev, भजति bhájati
serve in Assamese
বাঢ়া barha, বঢ়া borha
serve in Nepali
सेवा गर्ने
serve in Arabic
خَدَمَ ḵadama, عَبَدَ ʕabada, قَدَّمَ qaddama, أَرْسَلَ ʔarsala
serve in Malay
mengabdi, beribadah, layan, berkhidmat
serve in Persian
سرو کردن serv kardan, سرویس servis
serve in Thai
บริการ bɔɔ-rí-gaan, เสิร์ฟ sə̀əp
serve in Vietnamese
phục vụ, lên món

Examples of serve in a sentence

  • You may be a businessman or some high-degree thief, / They may call you Doctor or they may call you Chief / But you're gonna have to serve somebody.1979, Bob Dylan, Gotta Serve Somebody:
  • They'd serve cocaine, and you'd sit there, and base this cocaine.2012, Diana Prince, Secret Lives: Real Lives in the World’S Oldest Profession:
  • When crews like the Supreme Team saw the effect of the powerful new drug on users, they streamlined their own operation to serve crack only.2013, Seth Ferranti, The Supreme Team: The Birth of Crack and Hip-Hop, Prince’s Reign of Terror and the Supreme/50 Cent Beef Exposed:
  • Now, she’s back, back, back and ready to be catapulted to superstardom to serve “looks, sass and a dulled down Australian accent”.2024 September 12, Sam Damshenas, “‘A new direction for the franchise’: Drag Race UK stars on “mind-blowing” season 6”, in Gay Times:

All 40 example sentences with serve

Synonyms of serve

6 more synonymsFewer synonyms

Antonyms

All synonyms and antonyms of serve

Forms of serve

Verb
third-person singular presentserves
present participleserving
past participleserved
pastserved
Noun
pluralserves

Past tense of serve: served

Plural of serve: serves

Origin of serve

From Middle English serven, from Old French servir, from Latin serviō (“be a slave; serve”), from Latin servus (“slave; servant”), which perhaps derives from Etruscan (compare Etruscan proper names 𐌔𐌄𐌓𐌅𐌉 (servi), 𐌔𐌄𐌓𐌅𐌄 (serve)), or from Proto-Indo-European *ser- (“watch over, protect”).

Words formed from serve

Phrases with serve

Words that rhyme with serve

9 more rhymesFewer rhymes

Questions about serve

What does serve mean?
Serve means to be a formal servant for (a god or deity); to worship in an official capacity.
What is serve in Hindi?
Serve in Hindi is खिलाना (khilānā). See Serve meaning in Hindi.
How do you use serve in a sentence?
You may be a businessman or some high-degree thief, / They may call you Doctor or they may call you Chief / But you're gonna have to serve somebody.
What part of speech is serve?
Serve can be a verb or a noun.
How do you pronounce serve?
Serve is pronounced /sɜːv/ (UK).
What is the past tense of serve?
The past tense of serve is served.

Words near serve in the dictionary

  1. Servarayan Hills
  2. servaunt
  3. servaunts
  4. servco
  5. servcos
  6. serve
  7. serve and volley
  8. serve cunt
  9. serve notice
  10. serve one's time
  11. serve out

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: serve (page history and authors); serve (Tamil Wiktionary) (page history and authors); वाढणे (Marathi) (page history and authors); serve (Urdu Wiktionary) (page history and authors); serve (Bengali Wiktionary) (page history and authors); కొలుచు (Telugu) (page history and authors); ಓಲಗಿಸು (Kannada) (page history and authors); ਛਕਾਉਣਾ (Punjabi) (page history and authors); પીરસવું (Gujarati) (page history and authors); ବାଢ଼ିବା (Odia) (page history and authors); अम् (Sanskrit) (page history and authors); serve (Nepali, IndicTrans2 machine translation) (model and license). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: en-us-serve.ogg, en-au-serve.ogg, LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-serve.wav.

Cite this entry: “serve.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/serve. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.