SERVE | meaning - Cambridge Learner's Dictionary
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English (UK)

Meaning of serve – Learner’s Dictionary

serve
verb
uk
/sɜːv/ us

serve verb (FOOD/DRINK)

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A2
to give someone food or drink, especially guests or customers in a restaurant or bar:
We're not allowed to serve alcohol to anyone under 18.
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serve verb (SHOP)

B1
to help customers and sell things to them in a shop:
Are you being served?

serve verb (WORK)

to do work that helps society, for example in an organization such as the army or the government:
to serve in the army
to serve on a committee/jury
He served as mayor for 5 years.

serve verb (BE USEFUL)

to be useful as something:
It's a very entertaining film but it also serves an educational purpose.
The spare bedroom also serves as a study.
[ + to do sth ] He hopes his son's death will serve to warn others about the dangers of owning a gun.

serve verb (PRISON)

to be in prison for a period of time:
Williams, 42, is serving a four-year jail sentence.

serve verb (SPORT)

in a sport such as tennis, the action of throwing the ball up into the air and then hitting it towards the other player
serves one/two/four, etc
If an amount of food serves a particular number, it is enough for that number of people.
See also
It serves her/him/you right!
serve
noun [ C ]
uk
/sɜːv/ us
in sports such as tennis, the act of throwing the ball up into the air and hitting it towards the other player to start play

(Definition of serve from the Cambridge Learner's Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Translations of serve

in Chinese (Traditional)
提供食物／飲料, 提供（食物或飲料）, 工作…
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in Chinese (Simplified)
提供食物／饮料, 提供（食物或饮料）, 工作…
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in Spanish
servir, atender, cumplir (una sentencia)…
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in Portuguese
servir, cumprir, trabalhar…
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in more languages
in Marathi
in Japanese
in Turkish
in French
in Catalan
in Dutch
in Tamil
in Hindi
in Gujarati
in Danish
in Swedish
in Malay
in German
in Norwegian
in Urdu
in Ukrainian
in Russian
in Telugu
in Arabic
in Bengali
in Czech
in Indonesian
in Thai
in Vietnamese
in Polish
in Korean
in Italian
वाढणे, नोकरी करणे, सेवा बजावणे…
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（～に）食事を出す, （客）に対応する, 接客する…
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hizmet etmek, servis yapmak, görev yapmak…
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servir, exercer, être membre de…
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servir (menjar o beguda), atendre, servir…
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dienen, bedienen, uitzitten…
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உணவு அல்லது பானங்கள் வழங்க, வேலை செய்ய வேண்டும், உங்கள் கடமையைச் செய்ய…
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(भोजन या पेय) परोसना, कार्य करना, अपना कर्त्तव्य निभाना…
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પીરસવું, સેવા, ફરજ બજાવવી…
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tjene, servere, betjene…
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tjäna, servera, betjäna…
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bekerja sebagai pembantu rumah, menghidangkan, boleh digunakan…
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servieren, dienen, absitzen…
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servere, tjene, gjøre tjeneste…
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کھانا پیناپیش کرنا, سرو کرنا, ملنا…
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служити, подавати, обслуговувати…
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обслуживать, служить, состоять на службе…
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వడ్డించడం, ఎవరికోసమైనా పని చేయు, కర్తవ్యం నిర్వర్తించు…
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يَخْدِم, يَخْدِم (المُجْتَمَع), يُسْجَن لِفَتْرة…
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পরিবেশন করা, খাবার বা পানীয় বন্টন করা, সেবা করা…
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sloužit, podávat, obsluhovat…
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melayani, menghidangkan, cocok…
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รับใช้, บริการอาหาร, เหมาะสมกับจุดประสงค์…
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phục vụ, dọn ăn, hợp với…
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obsługiwać, podawać, służyć…
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제공하다, 시중을 들다, (조직이나 사회를 위해) 일하다…
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servire, scontare (condanna), essere membro di…
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