transitive verb served, serving
- to work for as a servant
- to do services or duties for; give service to; aid; assist; help
- to give obedience and reverent honor to (God, one's lord, etc.)
- Archaic to pay court to (a lady)
- to do military or naval service for
- to pass or spend (a term of imprisonment, military service, etc.): to serve a year in prison
- to carry out the duties connected with (a position, office, etc.)
- to act as server for (Mass, Benediction, etc.)
- to wait on (customers), as in a store
- to provide (customers, clients, or users) with goods or services, esp. professional services
- to provide (goods) for customers; supply
- to prepare and offer (food, etc.) in a certain way: serve the beef with rice
- to offer or set food, etc. before (a person)
- to give someone a portion or portions of (food, etc.) at the table: please serve me some peas
- to meet the needs or satisfy the requirements of: a tool to serve many purposes
- to promote or further: to serve the national interest
- to be used by: a hospital that serves the entire city
- to function or perform for: if memory serves me well
- to behave toward; treat: to be cruelly served
- to deliver (a legal instrument, as a summons)
- to deliver a legal instrument to; esp., to present with a writ
- to hit (a tennis ball, etc.) to one's opponent in order to start play
- to copulate with (a female): said of an animal
- Naut. to put a binding around in order to protect or strengthen (rope, etc.)
Origin:
ME serven < OFr servir < L servire, to serve < servus, servant, slave: see serf
noun
the act or manner of serving the ball in tennis, etc., or one's turn to serve