serve

Plural: serves

Noun

• (sports) a stroke that puts the ball in play
  • "his powerful serves won the game"
• An act of putting the ball or shuttlecock in play in various games.
• A portion of food or drink, a serving.
• An impressive presentation (especially of a person's appearance).

Verb

Verb Forms: served, serving, serves

• To perform duties or services for an employer or person.
• serve a purpose, role, or function
  • "The tree stump serves as a table"
  • "The female students served as a control group"
  • "This table would serve very well"
  • "His freedom served him well"
• do duty or hold offices; serve in a specific function
  • "He served as head of the department for three years"
  • "She served in Congress for two terms"
• contribute or conduce to
  • "The scandal served to increase his popularity"
• be used by; as of a utility
  • "The sewage plant served the neighboring communities"
  • "The garage served to shelter his horses"
• help to some food; help with food or drink
  • "I served him three times, and after that he helped himself"
• provide (usually but not necessarily food)
  • "We serve meals for the homeless"
  • "The entertainers served up a lively show"
• devote (part of) one's life or efforts to, as of countries, institutions, or ideas
  • "She served the art of music"
  • "He served the church"
  • "serve the country"
• promote, benefit, or be useful or beneficial to
  • "Art serves commerce"
  • "Their interests are served"
  • "The lake serves recreation"
  • "The President's wisdom has served the country well"
• spend time in prison or in a labor camp
• work for or be a servant to
  • "May I serve you?"
  • "The minister served the King for many years"
• deliver a warrant or summons to someone
• be sufficient; be adequate, either in quality or quantity
  • "Nothing else will serve"
• do military service
  • "She served in Vietnam"
  • "My sons never served, because they are short-sighted"
• mate with
  • "male animals serve the females for breeding purposes"
• put the ball into play
  • "It was Agassi's turn to serve"
• To provide a service (or, by extension, a product, especially food or drink).
• To be a formal servant for (a god or deity); to worship in an official capacity.
• To provide a service (or, by extension, a product, especially food or drink).
• To be a servant for; to work for, to be employed by.
• To provide a service (or, by extension, a product, especially food or drink).
• To wait upon (someone) at table; to set food and drink in front of, to help (someone) to food, meals etc.
• To provide a service (or, by extension, a product, especially food or drink).
• To render service by being a servant, worker, employee, or officeholder; to hold those roles and perform their duties.
• To provide a service (or, by extension, a product, especially food or drink).
• To set down (food or drink) on the table to be eaten; to bring (food, drink) to a person.
• To treat (someone) in a given manner.
• To be suitor to; to be the lover of.
• To be effective.
• To be useful to; to meet the needs of.
• To be effective.
• To have a given use or purpose; to function for something or to do something.
• To be effective.
• To usefully take the place as, instead of something else.
• To deliver a document in such a way that the recipient can be legally considered to be informed of it.
• To officially deliver (a legal notice, summons etc.).
• To deliver a document in such a way that the recipient can be legally considered to be informed of it.
• To make legal service upon (a person named in a writ, summons, etc.)
• To lead off with the first delivery over the net in tennis, volleyball, ping pong, badminton etc.
• To copulate with (of male animals); to cover.
• To be in military service.
• To work, to operate (a weapon).
• To work through (a given period of time in prison, a sentence).
• To wind spun yarn etc. tightly around (a rope or cable, etc.) so as to protect it from chafing or from the weather.
• To perform (a public obligation).
• To provide crack cocaine (to), usually by selling, dealing, or distributing.
• To present an attractive personal appearance.
• To present an attractive personal appearance.
• To present an attractive personal appearance.
• To attractively display (something, especially a body part) as part of one's personal appearance.
• To present an attractive personal appearance.
• To evoke (something, especially a person) with one's personal appearance.

Examples

• a document served on the tenant
• He hoped his carefully planned words would SERVE him well, leading to victory in Scrabble.
• 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.
• That white eyeliner is such a serve.
• to serve a witness with a subpoena
• Whose serve is it?

Synonyms

answer, assist, attend, attend to, dish, dish out, dish up, do, function, help, process, serve up, serve well, service, suffice, swear out, wait on, aid, await, bestand, bestead, dance attendance, do for, serve, serving, stay, tend, wait, wait upon

Antonyms

govern, order, receive, rule

Related Words

attendant, conserve, deserve, help, preserve, reserve, subserve