"serving" in the noun sense

1. helping, portion, serving

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

"the helpings were all small"

"his portion was larger than hers"

"there's enough for two servings each"

2. service, serving, service of process

the act of delivering a writ or summons upon someone

"he accepted service of the subpoena"

"serving" in the verb sense

1. serve, function

serve a purpose, role, or function

"The tree stump serves as a table"

"The female students served as a control group"

"This table would serve very well"

"His freedom served him well"

"The table functions as a desk"

2. serve

do duty or hold offices serve in a specific function

"He served as head of the department for three years"

"She served in Congress for two terms"

3. serve

contribute or conduce to

"The scandal served to increase his popularity"

4. service, serve

be used by as of a utility

"The sewage plant served the neighboring communities"

"The garage served to shelter his horses"

5. serve, help

help to some food help with food or drink

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

6. serve, serve up, dish out, dish up, dish

provide (usually but not necessarily food

"We serve meals for the homeless"

"She dished out the soup at 8 P.M."

"The entertainers served up a lively show"

7. serve

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

"She served the art of music"

"He served the church"

"serve the country"

8. serve, serve well

promote, benefit, or be useful or beneficial to

"Art serves commerce"

"Their interests are served"

"The lake serves recreation"

"The President's wisdom has served the country well"

9. serve, do

spend time in prison or in a labor camp

"He did six years for embezzlement"

10. serve, attend to, wait on, attend, assist

work for or be a servant to

"May I serve you?"

"She attends the old lady in the wheelchair"

"Can you wait on our table, please?"

"Is a salesperson assisting you?"

"The minister served the King for many years"

11. serve, process, swear out

deliver a warrant or summons to someone

"He was processed by the sheriff"

12. suffice, do, answer, serve

be sufficient be adequate, either in quality or quantity

"A few words would answer"

"This car suits my purpose well"

"Will $100 do?"

"A `B' grade doesn't suffice to get me into medical school"

"Nothing else will serve"

13. serve

do military service

"She served in Vietnam"

"My sons never served, because they are short-sighted"

14. serve, service

mate with

"male animals serve the females for breeding purposes"

15. serve

put the ball into play

"It was Agassi's turn to serve"

Source: WordNet® (An amazing lexical database of English)

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