serve

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English Vietnamese dictionary

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Advanced English dictionary

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verb, noun
+ verb
food / drink
1 ~ sth (with sth)
~ sth (to sb)
~ sb sth to give sb food or drink, for example at a restaurant or during a meal: [VN] Breakfast is served between 7 and 10 a.m. + Serve the lamb with new potatoes and green beans. + They served a wonderful meal to more than fifty delegates. + The delegates were served with a wonderful meal. + Pour the sauce over the pasta and serve immediately. + [VNN] She served us a delicious lunch. + [V] Shall I serve? + [VN-ADJ] The quiche can be served hot or cold.
2 [VN] (of an amount of food) to be enough for sb/sth: This dish will serve four hungry people.
customers
3 (especially BrE) to help a customer or sell them sth in a shop/store: [VN] Are you being served? [also V]
be useful
4 [VN] to be useful to sb in achieving or satisfying sth: These experiments serve no useful purpose. + Most of their economic policies serve the interests of big business. + How can we best serve the needs of future generations? + His linguistic ability served him well in his chosen profession.
provide sth
5 [VN] ~ sb (with sth) to provide an area or a group of people with a product or service: The town is well served with buses and major road links. + The centre will serve the whole community.
be suitable
6 [V] ~ (as sth) to be suitable for a particular use, especially when nothing else is available: The sofa will serve as a bed for a night or two.
have particular result
7 ~ (as sth) to have a particular effect or result: [V] The judge said the punishment would serve as a warning to others. + [V to inf] The attack was unsuccessful and served only to alert the enemy.
work
8 ~ (sb) (as sth)
~ (in / on / with sth)
~ (under / with sb) to work or perform duties for a person, an organization, a country, etc: [V] He served as a captain in the army. + She served in the medical corps. + He served under Edward Heath in the 1970s. + [VN] I wanted to work somewhere where I could serve the community. + He served the family faithfully for many years (= as a servant).
9 ~ (as sth) to spend a period of time in a particular job or training for a job: [VN] He served a one-year apprenticeship. + [V] She was elected to serve for another year as secretary of the local party.
time in prison
10 [VN] to spend a period of time in prison: prisoners serving life sentences + She is serving two years for theft. + He has served time (= been to prison) before.
official document
11 [VN] ~ sth (on sb)
~ sb with sth (law) to give or send sb an official document, especially one that orders them to appear in a court of law: to serve a writ / summons on sb + to serve sb with a writ / summons
in sport
12 (in tennis, etc.) to start playing by throwing the ball into the air and hitting it: [V] Who's serving? + [VN] She served an ace.
Idioms: it serves sb right (for doing sth) used to say that sth that has happened to sb is their own fault and they deserve it: Left you, did she? It serves you right for being so selfish.
serve your / its turn (BrE) to be useful for a particular purpose or period of time
serve two masters (usually used in negative sentences) to support two opposing parties, principles, etc. at the same time
more at FIRST adv., MEMORY
Phrasal Verbs: serve sth<->out
1 to continue doing sth, especially working or staying in prison, for a fixed period of time that has been set: He has three more years in prison before he's served out his sentence. + (BrE) They didn't want me to serve out my notice.
2 (BrE) = SERVE STH UP
serve sth<->up (BrE also serve sth<->out)
1 to put food onto plates and give it to people: He served up a delicious meal.
2 to give or offer sth: She served up the usual excuse.
+ noun (in tennis, etc.) the action of serving the ball to your opponent

Thesaurus dictionary

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v.

1 attend (to), wait on or upon, minister to, look after (the needs of), be at (someone's) beck and call, assist, help, be of assistance or help, be in the service of, oblige, accommodate, gratify:

After a patron is seated and settled, approach him and ask, 'May I serve you, Sir (or Madam, as the case may be ) ?' We serve all customers with equal consideration.

2 fulfil or carry out or perform or discharge (a function or a duty or one's duty), work (for), do (duty) (as or for), do one's part, suffice, be used or of use or useful (to or for), function (as or to), act (as or to), fill the bill, be serviceable (as or for), be available (for), answer (for), be sufficient or adequate or suitable, suit, be advantageous or of advantage (to); fight (for), be obedient (to), take one's part:

This catch will serve to keep the door closed. I had no screw driver, but a coin served just as well. They also serve who only stand and wait

3 distribute, deal out, dole out, give out, present, set out, provide, supply, offer, pass out or about or around, make available, come (a)round with, dish up or out:

They will serve hors-d'oeuvres at seven-thirty. Dinner is served, Madam.

4 be convenient or opportune or favourable (to):

If the opportunity serves me, I shall repay you many times over.

5 not fail, not play tricks (on), work or function (for), be accurate or correct:

If memory serves, he was last here about ten years ago.

6 go through, complete, spend, last, endure, survive:

Henryson served ten years in Dartmoor for that crime.

Collocation dictionary

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¹ give sb food or drink

ADV.

immediately

Pour the sauce over the pasta and serve immediately.

VERB + SERVE

be ready to

Cover and chill the salad until ready to serve.

PREP.

to

They served a wonderful meal to more than 50 delegates.

| with

The delegates were served with a wonderful meal. Serve the lamb with new potatoes and green beans.

PHRASES

serve sth chilled/cold/hot

The quiche can be served hot or cold.

² work

ADV.

faithfully, loyally, well

She served the family faithfully for many years (= as a servant).

VERB + SERVE

continue to

PREP.

as

I shall continue to serve as a trustee.

| in

She served in the medical corps.

| under

He served under John Major in the early 1990s.

Concise English dictionary

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serves|served|servingsɜrv /sɜːv
noun
+(sports) a stroke that puts the ball in play
verb
+serve a purpose, role, or function
+do duty or hold offices; serve in a specific function
+contribute or conduce to
+be used by; as of a utility
+help to some food; help with food or drink
+provide (usually but not necessarily food)
+devote (part of) one's life or efforts to, as of countries, institutions, or ideas
+promote, benefit, or be useful or beneficial to
+spend time in prison or in a labor camp
+work for or be a servant to
+deliver a warrant or summons to someone
+be sufficient; be adequate, either in quality or quantity
+do military service
+mate with
+put the ball into play

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