serve

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   To give people food or drink, especially at a meal or in a restaurant.

   The restaurant serves meals to the homeless every evening.

2. 2
   verb

   To work for a person, organization, or country, often in a useful role.

   She served the company loyally for thirty years.

3. 3
   verb

   To do military service.

   He served two tours of duty overseas.

4. 4
   verb

   To hit the ball to start a point in tennis or a similar game.

   It was Agassi's turn to serve.

5. 5
   noun

   The action of hitting the ball to begin a point in tennis or a similar game.

   His powerful serves won the game.

Common collocations

• serve dinner Verb + noun
• serve food Verb + noun
• serve the public Verb + noun
• serve a cause Verb + noun
• serve a client Verb + noun

From Middle English serven, from Old French servir, from Latin serviō (“be a slave; serve”), from Latin servus (“slave; servant”), which perhaps derives from Etruscan (compare Etruscan proper names 𐌔𐌄𐌓𐌅𐌉 (servi), 𐌔𐌄𐌓𐌅𐌄 (serve)), or from Proto-Indo-European *ser- (“watch over, protect”).

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