serve
- 01 A2 Elementary
v.to help customers in a shop, restaurant, or bank.
v.to attend to a customer's needs in a commercial or professional setting.
Simple“The clerk was busy serving another customer when I walked into the store.”
In context“The boutique prides itself on serving high-net-worth clients with a level of discretion that larger department stores cannot match.”
- 02 A2 Elementary
v.to give food or drink to someone, especially during a meal.
v.to provide or distribute food or drink to guests or customers.
Simple“They serve breakfast in the hotel dining room until ten o'clock.”
In context“The chef recommends serving the venison with a reduction of red wine and juniper berries to complement the gamey flavour.”
- 03 B1 Intermediate
v.to work for a particular organisation, especially the military or the government.
v.to perform duties for a sovereign, state, or organisation, particularly in a military or official capacity.
Simple“My grandfather served in the navy for twenty years before he retired.”
In context“She served with distinction on the regional council for three consecutive terms before pursuing a career in national politics.”
Synonymswork forbe employed by - 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to be useful or helpful for a particular purpose.
v.to be functional or adequate for a specific purpose or requirement.
Simple“This old wooden crate can serve as a coffee table for now.”
In context“The preliminary report will serve as a foundation for the more detailed environmental impact study scheduled for next year.”
- 05 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to spend a specific amount of time in prison.
v.to undergo a period of imprisonment as a legal penalty.
Simple“He had to serve three years in prison for his role in the robbery.”
In context“The defendant was sentenced to serve ten years, though he may be eligible for parole after completing two-thirds of that time.”
- 06 C1 Advanced
v.to officially give someone a legal document, like a summons to go to court.
v.to deliver a legal notice or writ to a person so that they are officially informed of a legal action.
Simple“The lawyers finally managed to serve him with the divorce papers yesterday.”
In context“Process servers often face significant challenges when attempting to serve individuals who are actively evading legal proceedings.”
- 07 C1 Advanced
v.to look very stylish or attractive.
v.to present an exceptionally attractive or stylish personal appearance.
Simple“She is really serving in that new outfit she bought for the party.”
In context“The drag queen walked onto the stage and was absolutely serving, captivating the entire audience with her elaborate costume.”
Teacher's tipThis is a modern slang use often found in fashion and LGBTQ+ contexts; it is very informal.
Synonymsslaylook good - 08 B1 Intermediate
n.the act of hitting the ball to start a point in games like tennis.
n.the act or manner of putting the ball or shuttlecock into play in court games.
Simple“Her serve is so fast that most players cannot even touch the ball.”
In context“The match turned in his favour once he regained his confidence and began landing his first serve with consistent accuracy.”
Synonyms - 09 B1 Intermediate
n.an amount of food for one person.
n.a portion of food or drink intended for one person.
Simple“That is a very large serve of chips for just one person.”
In context“The restaurant offers a standard serve of vegetables with every main course at no additional charge.”
Teacher's tipIn American English, 'serving' or 'portion' is much more common than 'serve' for food.
Usage serve between years · serve an important · serve their full
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”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.