serve

serve¹ W1S1 [sə:v US sə:rv] v

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

1¦(food/drink)¦

2 serve two/three/four etc (people)

3¦(shop)¦

4¦(be useful/helpful)¦

5¦(do useful work)¦

6¦(have an effect)¦

7¦(provide something)¦

8¦(prison)¦

9¦(sport)¦

10 it serves somebody right

11 serve an apprenticeship

12 serve a summons/writ etc

Phrasal verbs

　serve something<=>out

　serve something<=>up

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

[Date: 1100-1200; : Old French; Origin: servir, from Latin servire 'to be a slave, serve', from servus 'slave, servant', perhaps from Etruscan]

1.) ¦(FOOD/DRINK)¦ [I and T]

to give someone food or drink, especially as part of a meal or in a restaurant, bar etc

▪ The waiter was serving another table.

▪ Sprinkle with cheese and serve immediately.

serve sth with sth

▪ Serve the soup with crusty bread.

serve breakfast/lunch/dinner

▪ Breakfast is served until 9 a.m.

serve sth to sb

▪ Meals can be served to you in your room.

serve sth hot/cold etc

▪ Teacakes should be served hot with butter.

2.) serve two/three/four etc (people)

if food serves two, three etc, there is enough for that number of people

▪ The recipe serves four.

3.) ¦(SHOP)¦ [I and T]

to help the customers in a shop, especially by bringing them the things that they want

▪ There was only one girl serving customers .

4.) ¦(BE USEFUL/HELPFUL)¦ [I and T]

to be useful or helpful for a particular purpose or reason

serve as

▪ The sofa had to serve as a bed.

▪ The reforms served as a model for the rest of the Communist world.

▪ A large cardboard box will serve the purpose .

▪ Her talent for organization should serve her well .

serve the needs/interests of sb/sth

▪ research projects that serve the needs of industry

5.) ¦(DO USEFUL WORK)¦ [I and T]

to spend a period of time doing useful work or official duties for an organization, country, important person etc

serve as

▪ Lord Herbert served as ambassador to France.

serve in the army/air force/navy etc

▪ He returned to Greece to serve in the army.

serve on

▪ Ann serves on various local committees.

▪ the women who served their country in the war

6.) ¦(HAVE AN EFFECT)¦ [i]formal

to have a particular effect or result

serve as

▪ Her death should serve as a warning to other young people.

serve to do sth

▪ A single example serves to illustrate what I mean.

7.) ¦(PROVIDE SOMETHING)¦ [T usually passive]

to provide an area or a group of people with something that is necessary or useful

▪ Paris is served by two airports.

8.) ¦(PRISON)¦ [T]

to spend a particular period of time in prison

▪ He served an eighteen-month sentence for theft.

▪ Did you know that Les is serving time (=is in prison) ?

9.) ¦(SPORT)¦ [I and T]

to start playing in a game such as tennis or ↑volleyball by throwing the ball up in the air and hitting it over the net

10.) it serves sb right

spoken used to say that you think someone deserves something unpleasant that happens to them, because they have been stupid or unkind

▪ 'She kicked me!' 'Serves you right, teasing her like that.'

11.) serve an apprenticeship

to learn a job or skill by working for a particular period of time for someone who has a lot of experience

12.) serve a summons/writ etc

to officially send or give someone a written order to appear in a court of law

→if my memory serves me (right/well/correctly) at ↑memory

serve out [serve sth<=>out] phr v

1.) to complete a particular period of time in prison or doing a job

▪ Dillon's almost served out his sentence (=in prison) .

▪ The Senator's illness means he may not serve out his term .

2.) BrE to put food onto plates

▪ Serve out the rice, will you?

serve up [serve sth<=>up] phr v

to give food to someone as part of a meal

▪ What are you serving up tonight?

serve ²

serve² n

the action in a game such as tennis or ↑volleyball when you throw the ball in the air and hit it over the net