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What (who) is serve - definition
WIKIMEDIA DISAMBIGUATION PAGE
Serve (disambiguation); Serves; Served
serve
¦ verb
1. perform duties or services for.
be employed as a member of the armed forces.
spend (a period) in office, in an apprenticeship, or in prison.
2. present food or drink to (someone).
(of food or drink) be enough for.
attend to (a customer in a shop).
Christian Church act as a server at the celebration of the Eucharist.
3. Law formally deliver (a summons or writ) to the person to whom it is addressed.
4. be of use in achieving something or fulfilling a purpose.
treat in a specified way.
(of a male breeding animal) copulate with (a female).
5. (in tennis and other racket sports) hit the ball or shuttlecock to begin play for each point of a game.
(serve out) Tennis win the final game of a set or match while serving.
6. Nautical bind (a rope) with thin cord to protect or strengthen it.
7. Military operate (a gun).
8. archaic play (a trick) on.
¦ noun
1. an act of serving in tennis, badminton, etc.
2. Austral. informal a reprimand.
Phrases
serve someone right be someone's deserved punishment or misfortune.
serve one's (or its) turn be useful or helpful.
Origin
ME: from OFr. servir, from L. servire, from servus 'slave'.
Serve
·vi To lead off in delivering the ball.
II. Serve ·vt To be suitor to; to profess love to.
III. Serve ·vt To lead off in delivering (the ball).
IV. Serve ·vt To pass or spend, as time, ·esp. time of punishment; as, to serve a term in prison.
VI. Serve ·vt To answer or be (in the place of something) to; as, a sofa serves one for a seat and a couch.
VII. Serve ·vt To copulate with; to Cover; as, a horse serves a mare;
- said of the male.
VIII. Serve ·vt To be subordinate to; to act a secondary part under; to appear as the inferior of; to minister to.
IX. Serve ·vi To perform domestic offices; to be occupied with household affairs; to prepare and dish up food, ·etc.
X. Serve ·vt To make legal service opon (a person named in a writ, summons, ·etc.); as, to serve a witness with a subp/na.
XI. Serve ·vi To be of use; to answer a purpose; to Suffice; to Suit; to be convenient or favorable.
XII. Serve ·vt To Treat; to behave one's self to; to Requite; to act toward; as, he served me very ill.
XIII. Serve ·vt To bring to notice, deliver, or execute, either actually or constructively, in such manner as the law requires; as, to serve a summons.
XIV. Serve ·vi To be a servant or a slave; to be employed in labor or other business for another; to be in subjection or bondage; to render menial service.
XV. Serve ·vt To perform the duties belonging to, or required in or for; hence, to be of use to; as, a curate may serve two churches; to serve one's country.
XVI. Serve ·vt To contribute or conduce to; to Promote; to be sufficient for; to Satisfy; as, to serve one's turn.
XVII. Serve ·vt Hence, to bring forward, arrange, deal, or distribute, as a portion of anything, especially of food prepared for eating;
- often with up; formerly with in.
XVIII. Serve ·vi To be in service; to do duty; to discharge the requirements of an office or employment. Specifically, to act in the public service, as a soldier, seaman. ·etc.
XIX. Serve ·vt To wind spun yarn, or the like, tightly around (a rope or cable, ·etc.) so as to protect it from chafing or from the weather. ·see under Serving.
XX. Serve ·vt To wait upon; to supply the wants of; to Attend; specifically, to wait upon at table; to attend at meals; to supply with food; as, to serve customers in a shop.
XXI. Serve ·vt To work for; to labor in behalf of; to exert one's self continuously or statedly for the benefit of; to do service for; to be in the employment of, as an inferior, domestic, serf, slave, hired assistant, official helper, ·etc.; specifically, in a religious sense, to obey and worship.
Examples of use of serve
1. If they wish to, they?ll serve, if they don‘t wish to, they won?t serve.
2. No–one can serve two masters; it is impossible to serve both God and money.
3. TO SERVE: Dilute cordial to taste with fizzy water, and serve over ice.
4. Federer, he said, needed to improve on his second serve and should serve and volley more.
5. It‘s a special calling to serve those who serve our country.