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| serve [ surv ] |
verb (past and past participle served, present participle serv·ing, 3rd person present singular serves) |
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| Definition: |
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1. transitive and intransitive verb work for somebody: to work, or work for somebody
  She's decided to step down after serving on the committee for 18 years.
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2. transitive verb provide customers with goods: to attend to customers, especially in a store, and provide them with goods, supplies, or services
Are you being served, madam?
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3. intransitive verb be in armed force: to be a member of an armed force, especially in wartime
My father served in the Korean War.
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4. transitive and intransitive verb work as servant: to work, or work for somebody, as a domestic servant
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5. transitive and intransitive verb be used for something: to be useful for a particular purpose
A box with a piece of wood on top served as a table.
It serves no purpose at all.
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6. transitive and intransitive verb assist somebody in particular way: to assist or help somebody in a particular way, either well or badly
His previous experience served him well.
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7. transitive and intransitive verb have particular effect: to have a particular effect or result
This letter will serve to remind you of our appointment.
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8. transitive and intransitive verb give somebody food or drink: to bring food or drink to somebody, or give somebody a serving of a particular food
Can I serve you with some potatoes?
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9. transitive verb prepare and supply food: to present food or drink in a particular way, e.g. with a particular accompaniment, or make it available at a particular time
This chicken dish is delicious served with rice and a green salad.
Ladies and gentlemen, dinner is served.
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10. intransitive verb assist during Mass or liturgy: to assist a Roman Catholic, Anglican, or Eastern Orthodox priest in the celebration of Mass or a liturgy
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11. transitive and intransitive verb crime spend time in prison: to spend a particular length of time in a house of corrections
served ten years for armed robbery
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12. transitive and intransitive verb put ball or shuttlecock in play: in racket games, to hit a ball or shuttlecock toward an opponent as a way of beginning play for a point
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13. transitive verb law deliver legal document to somebody: to deliver a legal document, especially a summons, writ, or warrant, to somebody
He's been served with a writ.
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14. transitive verb worship somebody or something: to admire or follow somebody or something worshipfully
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formal
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They serve only the icon of greed.
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15. transitive verb zoology copulate with female: to copulate with a female to breed
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16. transitive verb nautical bind rope to prevent fraying: to bind a rope with something such as fine wire or cord to keep it from wearing or fraying
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noun (plural serves) |
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| Definition: |
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1. hit that starts point: in racket games, the shot used to begin every point
It's almost impossible to return her serve.
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2. game: in racket games, a game in which a particular player serves
He's lost his serve three times in a row.
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| [12th century. Via French servir< Latin servire< servus "slave"] |
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| serv·a·ble adjective |
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serve somebody right to be a deserved punishment for doing something wrong
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| Word History |
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The Latin word servire "to serve," from which serve is derived, is also the source of English deserve, dessert, sergeant, and serviette (but not of conserve, observe, preserve, and reserve, which come from the unrelated Latin servare "to watch, pay attention, keep").
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