serve

SaySURV/sɝv/UK/sɜːv/

Verbserves, serving, served

Noun pluralserves

23 meanings of serve

Practice

1
fill a roleverbintransitivefactive
To do a job or have an official role, such as being mayor or on a jury.
She serves on the town council.
He wanted to serve as a firefighter.
UsageSay serve as mayor or serve on a team or a jury.
Note
2
give foodverbtransitive
To give people food or drinks, for example at a meal.
Waiters serve the soup before the main course.
The café serves breakfast until noon.
UsageSay serve food to people, or serve people food.
3
verbtransitive
To be useful to someone or to give them what they need.
Like a tool that does exactly the job you need.
This old bike still serves me well.
A simple map will serve the hikers just fine.
UsagePeople often say it served me well.
Similarsustain, support, suit, satisfy, benefit
Oppositefail
4
verbintransitive
To be used as something, often instead of the usual thing.
This box can serve as a small table.
The spare room serves as an office.
UsageSay serve as a table, or serve to show something.
5
supply an areaverbtransitive
To supply a place or a group of people with goods, services, or ways to travel.
Two bus lines serve our part of town.
The small store serves three villages in the valley.
UsagePeople say a place is well served by buses or trains.
Similarsupply
Note
6
armed forcesverbintransitive
To be a member of the armed forces.
Her brother serves in the navy.
He hopes to serve overseas one day.
UsageSay serve in the army or in the navy.
7
wait onverbtransitive
To help a customer in a store, bar, or restaurant by taking their order or selling them what they want.
Can you serve the next customer, please?
The woman at the bakery was busy, so we waited to be served.
UsageYou serve a customer, and you wait to be served.
Similarhelp
Note
8
prison timeverbtransitive
To spend a set period of time in prison as punishment.
He served two years for the crime.
She must serve her sentence before being released.
UsagePeople say serve time or serve a sentence.
Similardo, complete, spend
9
verbtransitive
To work for someone as their servant or employee.
She served a wealthy family for many years.
They serve a demanding employer but take pride in the work.
Note
10
worshipverbtransitive
To worship and obey a god, sometimes as a priest or other official helper.
Like being a helper who works only for one god.
The priests served the goddess at her temple for life.
Young acolytes serve the god through daily rituals.
Similarworship
11
portionnounAustraliacountable
An amount of food or drink meant for one person.
Like one plate of food set aside for a single person.
She ordered a large serve of fries with her burger.
Can I get another serve of ice cream, please?
UsageSay a serve of fries. In most places people say serving.
Similarportion, helping
Note

Less common meanings

12
start the pointverbtransitive or intransitive
To start a point by hitting the ball over the net in games like tennis.
She served the ball into the far corner.
It's your turn to serve now.
Note
13
nouncountable
The hit that starts play in games like tennis or volleyball.
Her serve landed just inside the line.
A good serve can win the point right away.
UsagePeople ask whose serve is it? to mean whose turn it is.
Similarservice
Note
14
feed (number)verbtransitive
To be enough food for a certain number of people.
One large pizza should serve four hungry kids.
This chocolate cake serves eight people.
UsageSay the cake serves eight, meaning there is enough for eight people.
Similarfeed
15
legal papersverbtransitive
To officially give someone a legal paper, such as an order to go to court.
The officer served him with a court notice.
They will serve the papers tomorrow morning.
UsageSay serve someone with papers, or serve papers on someone.
Note
16
sell drugsverbslangtransitive or intransitive
To sell illegal drugs, especially crack cocaine, to someone.
He was caught serving crack to an undercover officer.
On that corner, young dealers serve crack users all night long.
Note
17
look amazingverbslangtransitive or intransitive
To show off a strong, stylish look, sometimes one that reminds people of someone.
In her gold boots and big sunglasses, she came to serve a look.
You are serving tonight in that outfit.
UsagePeople say someone serves a look, or just that they are serving.
Note
18
nounslangcountable
A bold, stylish look or entrance that grabs everyone's attention.
Like a show-stopping outfit that turns every head.
Her outfit tonight was a total serve.
His entrance was a real serve, and the whole room went wild.
UsagePeople say an outfit is a total serve.
Similarshowstopper
Note
19
operate weaponverbtransitive
To work or fire a weapon, especially a big gun such as a cannon.
Like running a machine that needs people to load and aim it.
The soldiers served the cannon throughout the long battle.
It took six sailors to serve each big cannon on the old ship.
Similarman, operate, work
Note
20
mateverbtransitive
Of a male animal, to mate with a female.
The stallion served three mares that spring.
Breeders let the bull serve the cows in early summer.
UsageMostly used on farms: the cow was served by the bull.
Similarcover, mount, service
21
treatverbarchaictransitive
To treat someone in a certain way.
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, BelshazzarHere, served means treated someone, here badly.
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
UsageToday people mostly say it serves you right.
Note
22
court a loververbarchaictransitive
To court someone, hoping to win their love.
That gentle Lady, whom I loue and serue.
1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie QueeneHere, serue means to court a woman, to be her devoted lover.
Note
23
verb
To wrap thin rope or yarn tightly around a bigger rope to keep it safe.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of serve apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

It comes from Latin servus, meaning "slave" or "servant," and reached English through Old French servir.

Checked 5 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

Serve ultimately derives from Latin servus, meaning 'slave' or 'servant', through the verb serviō. en.wiktionary.org
The word reached English through Old French servir. en.wiktionary.org