to give food or drinks to someone or place them on the table for them to eat or drink
The waiter served our soup within minutes.
At family dinners, Grandma serves the turkey to everyone.
to work for or help a person, organization, or cause, especially as an employee, soldier, or public official
She served in the navy for five years.
Councillors are elected to serve their local community.
in tennis, volleyball, and similar sports, to hit or throw the ball to start a game or point
It's your turn to serve, so stand behind the baseline.
She served an ace that her opponent couldn't touch.
in sports like tennis or volleyball, the action of hitting or throwing the ball to start play
Her first serve was fast and accurate.
The player's powerful serve won him many points.
to be useful for a particular purpose or act in place of something else
A folded jacket can serve as a pillow on long flights.
The ceremony will serve as a farewell to the retiring principal.
to spend a stated period performing duty or punishment, such as in prison or in an official position
He had to serve three years in prison for the robbery.
The senator will serve a six-year term if re-elected.
a person who takes orders and brings food and drinks to customers in a restaurant
Our friendly server recommended the chef's special.
The server brought extra napkins without being asked.
✦ from Old French servir ‘to serve’; occupational noun recorded in English since the 14th century, with the restaurant sense emerging in the late 19th century
a powerful computer or software program that supplies data, services, or resources to other computers over a network
The company stores all its customer records on a secure server.
When the server crashed, no one in the office could open their email.
✦ extended from general sense of ‘one who serves’ to computing in the 1960s to describe a machine that “serves” resources to others
to have earned something, good or bad, because of what you have done or what you are like
After studying hard all year, Maya felt she deserved a break.
That player deserves the trophy for his excellent performance.
an amount of something kept so it can be used later when it is needed
The campers brought a reserve of water in case the river dried up.
Oil reserves are running low in that region.
