serve

Change speaker

You're listening to Joanna
She has an American accent.

NGSL Rank: 533
serve
səːv Listen
Meanings
verb
  • perform duties or services for (another person or an organization).
    E.g. Malcolm has served the church very faithfully
  • present (food or drink) to someone.
    E.g. they serve wine instead of beer
  • deliver (a document such as a summons or writ) in a formal manner to the person to whom it is addressed.
    E.g. he said his lawyer would serve a writ to the multinational corporation within a week
  • be of use in achieving or satisfying.
    E.g. this book will serve a useful purpose
  • (in tennis and other racket sports) hit the ball or shuttlecock to begin play for each point of a game.
    E.g. he tossed the ball up to serve
  • bind (a rope) with thin cord to protect or strengthen it.
  • operate (a gun).
    E.g. before long Lodge was the only man in his section able to serve the guns
noun
  • (in tennis and other racket sports) an act of hitting the ball or shuttlecock to start play.
    E.g. he was let down by an erratic serve
  • a reprimand.
    E.g. he would be willing to give the country a serve in an English newspaper

Practise saying this word

serve
Joanna
YouReset