Library / English Dictionary

SERVE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

(sports) a stroke that puts the ball in play

Example:

his powerful serves won the game

Synonyms:

serve; service

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("serve" is a kind of...):

tennis shot; tennis stroke (the act of hitting a tennis ball with a tennis racket)

Domain category:

squash; squash rackets; squash racquets (a game played in an enclosed court by two or four players who strike the ball with long-handled rackets)

badminton (a game played on a court with light long-handled rackets used to volley a shuttlecock over a net)

lawn tennis; tennis (a game played with rackets by two or four players who hit a ball back and forth over a net that divides the court)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "serve"):

ace (a serve that the receiver is unable to reach)

fault ((sports) a serve that is illegal (e.g., that lands outside the prescribed area))

let; net ball (a serve that strikes the net before falling into the receiver's court; the ball must be served again)

Derivation:

serve (put the ball into play)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Put the ball into play

Example:

It was Agassi's turn to serve

Classified under:

Verbs of fighting, athletic activities

Hypernyms (to "serve" is one way to...):

go; move (have a turn; make one's move in a game)

Domain category:

court game (an athletic game played on a court)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "serve"):

ace (serve an ace against (someone))

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Derivation:

serve ((sports) a stroke that puts the ball in play)

server ((court games) the player who serves to start a point)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Do duty or hold offices; serve in a specific function

Example:

She served in Congress for two terms

Classified under:

Verbs of fighting, athletic activities

Hypernyms (to "serve" is one way to...):

do work; work (be employed)

Verb group:

serve (do military service)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "serve"):

sit (serve in a specific professional capacity)

staff (serve on the staff of)

act (discharge one's duties)

rotate (perform a job or duty on a rotating basis)

function; officiate (perform duties attached to a particular office or place or function)

caddie; caddy (act as a caddie and carry clubs for a player)

represent (be a delegate or spokesperson for; represent somebody's interest or be a proxy or substitute for, as of politicians and office holders representing their constituents, or of a tenant representing other tenants in a housing dispute)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Sense 3

Meaning:

Provide (usually but not necessarily food)

Example:

The entertainers served up a lively show

Synonyms:

dish; dish out; dish up; serve; serve up

Classified under:

Verbs of eating and drinking

Hypernyms (to "serve" is one way to...):

cater; ply; provide; supply (give what is desired or needed, especially support, food or sustenance)

Verb group:

help; serve (help to some food; help with food or drink)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "serve"):

plank (cook and serve on a plank)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sentence example:

The chefs serve the vegetables

Sense 4

Meaning:

Help to some food; help with food or drink

Example:

I served him three times, and after that he helped himself

Synonyms:

help; serve

Classified under:

Verbs of eating and drinking

Hypernyms (to "serve" is one way to...):

cater; ply; provide; supply (give what is desired or needed, especially support, food or sustenance)

Verb group:

dish; dish out; dish up; serve; serve up (provide (usually but not necessarily food))

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Sentence example:

Sam cannot serve Sue

Derivation:

server (utensil used in serving food or drink)

server (a person whose occupation is to serve at table (as in a restaurant))

serving (an individual quantity of food or drink taken as part of a meal)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Mate with

Example:

male animals serve the females for breeding purposes

Synonyms:

serve; service

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "serve" is one way to...):

copulate; couple; mate; pair (engage in sexual intercourse)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "serve"):

stand (be available for stud services)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Sense 6

Meaning:

Deliver a warrant or summons to someone

Example:

He was processed by the sheriff

Synonyms:

process; serve; swear out

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "serve" is one way to...):

deliver (bring to a destination, make a delivery)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "serve"):

rinse; wash (clean with some chemical process)

subpoena (serve or summon with a subpoena)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody with something

Sense 7

Meaning:

Do military service

Example:

My sons never served, because they are short-sighted

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "serve" is one way to...):

do work; work (be employed)

Verb group:

serve (do duty or hold offices; serve in a specific function)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Sense 8

Meaning:

Work for or be a servant to

Example:

The minister served the King for many years

Synonyms:

assist; attend; attend to; serve; wait on

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "serve" is one way to...):

aid; assist; help (give help or assistance; be of service)

Verb group:

serve (devote (part of) one's life or efforts to, as of countries, institutions, or ideas)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "serve"):

valet (serve as a personal attendant to)

fag (act as a servant for older boys, in British public schools)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Somebody ----s somebody with something

Sentence example:

Sam cannot serve Sue

Derivation:

servant (a person working in the service of another (especially in the household))

servitor (someone who performs the duties of an attendant for someone else)

Sense 9

Meaning:

Be used by; as of a utility

Example:

The garage served to shelter his horses

Synonyms:

serve; service

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "serve" is one way to...):

function; go; operate; run; work (perform as expected when applied)

Verb group:

function; serve (serve a purpose, role, or function)

Sentence frames:

Something is ----ing PP
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something
Somebody ----s to INFINITIVE

Sense 10

Meaning:

Devote (part of) one's life or efforts to, as of countries, institutions, or ideas

Example:

serve the country

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "serve" is one way to...):

work (exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity)

Verb group:

assist; attend; attend to; serve; wait on (work for or be a servant to)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Sense 11

Meaning:

Be sufficient; be adequate, either in quality or quantity

Example:

Nothing else will serve

Synonyms:

answer; do; serve; suffice

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Hypernyms (to "serve" is one way to...):

fulfil; fulfill; live up to; satisfy (meet the requirements or expectations of)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "serve"):

bridge over; keep going; tide over (suffice for a period between two points)

go a long way (suffice or be adequate for a while or to a certain extent)

function; serve (serve a purpose, role, or function)

measure up; qualify (prove capable or fit; meet requirements)

go around (be sufficient)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Sense 12

Meaning:

Contribute or conduce to

Example:

The scandal served to increase his popularity

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Hypernyms (to "serve" is one way to...):

effect; effectuate; set up (produce)

Verb group:

serve; serve well (promote, benefit, or be useful or beneficial to)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "serve"):

facilitate; help (be of use)

Sentence frames:

Something is ----ing PP
Somebody ----s to INFINITIVE

Sense 13

Meaning:

Promote, benefit, or be useful or beneficial to

Example:

The President's wisdom has served the country well

Synonyms:

serve; serve well

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Hypernyms (to "serve" is one way to...):

foster; nurture (help develop, help grow)

Verb group:

serve (contribute or conduce to)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Derivation:

servant (in a subordinate position)

Sense 14

Meaning:

Serve a purpose, role, or function

Example:

The table functions as a desk

Synonyms:

function; serve

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Hypernyms (to "serve" is one way to...):

answer; do; serve; suffice (be sufficient; be adequate, either in quality or quantity)

Verb group:

serve; service (be used by; as of a utility)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "serve"):

prelude (serve as a prelude or opening to)

act as (function as or act like)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Sense 15

Meaning:

Spend time in prison or in a labor camp

Example:

He did six years for embezzlement

Synonyms:

do; serve

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Hypernyms (to "serve" is one way to...):

pass; spend (use up a period of time in a specific way)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "serve"):

admit (serve as a means of entrance)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s PP

Credits

 Context examples: 

I have served him long enough.

(The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

There were the old signs, the old names over the shops, the old people serving in them.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Monoubiquitination does not serve as a proteasome targeting signal, but plays other distinct roles.

(Monoubiquitination, NCI Thesaurus)

Jonathan's bitter experience served me here.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

I impressed it on my heart, that it might remain there to serve me as aid in the time of trial.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

In serving these roles, AJs regulate normal cell growth and behavior.

(Beta Catenin, NCI Thesaurus/from OMIM)

In a group of healthy volunteers, the researchers showed that different brain regions that serve distinct functions have notably different power and different cost.

(Study of brain energy patterns provides new insights into alcohol effects, National Institutes of Health)

I shall be happy to do anything that I can to serve you.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Nobody wonders that they should prefer the line where their friends can serve them best, or suspects them to be less in earnest in it than they appear.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

The public pays and must be served well.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)