"serve" meaning in English

See serve in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /sɜːv/ [UK], /sɝv/ [US] Audio: en-us-serve.ogg [US], en-au-serve.ogg [Australia] Forms: serve [singular], serves [plural]
Head templates: {{noun}} [POS TABLE]
  1. A serve in a game like tennis is the action beginning of play by sending something like a ball over a net.
    Sense id: simple-serve-en-noun-eGugrc2K Categories (other): Sports

Verb

IPA: /sɜːv/ [UK], /sɝv/ [US] Audio: en-us-serve.ogg [US], en-au-serve.ogg [Australia] Forms: serve [canonical], serves [third-person, singular], served [past], served [past, participle], serving [present, participle]
Head templates: {{verb|serv|e}} [POS TABLE]
  1. When you serve food or drink, you give it to somebody to eat or drink, especially as a host.
    Sense id: simple-serve-en-verb-8EBqQwP4
  2. If something serves (as something), it used or useful for a certain purpose.
    Sense id: simple-serve-en-verb-IBFHlZmb
  3. When you serve (as something), you work.
    Sense id: simple-serve-en-verb-YLb0opNp
  4. If you serve time in prison, you stay there because you are a criminal.
    Sense id: simple-serve-en-verb-FSo8e~oh
  5. If you serve, in a game like tennis, you begin play by sending something like a ball over a net.
    Sense id: simple-serve-en-verb-YPr81aUw Categories (other): Sports
{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "serve",
      "tags": [
        "canonical"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "serves",
      "tags": [
        "third-person",
        "singular"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "served",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "served",
      "tags": [
        "past",
        "participle"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "serving",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "participle"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "serv",
        "2": "e"
      },
      "expansion": "[POS TABLE]",
      "name": "verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Shall I serve your drinks first?"
        },
        {
          "text": "Lunch is served from 11:00 until 3:00."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "When you serve food or drink, you give it to somebody to eat or drink, especially as a host."
      ],
      "id": "simple-serve-en-verb-8EBqQwP4",
      "raw_tags": [
        "transitive & intransitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "This cup can serve as a holder for my paintbrushes."
        },
        {
          "text": "This program has served as a model for smaller enterprises throughout the state."
        },
        {
          "text": "His experiences during the war served as the basis for his book."
        },
        {
          "text": "The area is served by a number of schools."
        },
        {
          "text": "The law no longer serves the function it once did."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "If something serves (as something), it used or useful for a certain purpose."
      ],
      "id": "simple-serve-en-verb-IBFHlZmb",
      "raw_tags": [
        "transitive & intransitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "John served in the army."
        },
        {
          "text": "He served as the director of the company from 1992 until 2003."
        },
        {
          "text": "He serves the king."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "When you serve (as something), you work."
      ],
      "id": "simple-serve-en-verb-YLb0opNp",
      "raw_tags": [
        "transitive & intransitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "glosses": [
        "If you serve time in prison, you stay there because you are a criminal."
      ],
      "id": "simple-serve-en-verb-FSo8e~oh",
      "raw_tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Sports",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "If you serve, in a game like tennis, you begin play by sending something like a ball over a net."
      ],
      "id": "simple-serve-en-verb-YPr81aUw",
      "raw_tags": [
        "transitive & intransitive",
        "sports"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/sɜːv/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/sɝv/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-serve.ogg",
      "raw_tags": [
        "Audio"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-au-serve.ogg",
      "raw_tags": [
        "Audio"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "serve"
}

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "serve",
      "tags": [
        "singular"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "serves",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "expansion": "[POS TABLE]",
      "name": "noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Sports",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Whose serve is it?"
        },
        {
          "text": "That was a great serve!"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A serve in a game like tennis is the action beginning of play by sending something like a ball over a net."
      ],
      "id": "simple-serve-en-noun-eGugrc2K",
      "raw_tags": [
        "sports"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/sɜːv/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/sɝv/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-serve.ogg",
      "raw_tags": [
        "Audio"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-au-serve.ogg",
      "raw_tags": [
        "Audio"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "serve"
}
{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "serve",
      "tags": [
        "canonical"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "serves",
      "tags": [
        "third-person",
        "singular"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "served",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "served",
      "tags": [
        "past",
        "participle"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "serving",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "participle"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "serv",
        "2": "e"
      },
      "expansion": "[POS TABLE]",
      "name": "verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "Intransitive verbs",
        "Transitive verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Shall I serve your drinks first?"
        },
        {
          "text": "Lunch is served from 11:00 until 3:00."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "When you serve food or drink, you give it to somebody to eat or drink, especially as a host."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "transitive & intransitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "Intransitive verbs",
        "Transitive verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "This cup can serve as a holder for my paintbrushes."
        },
        {
          "text": "This program has served as a model for smaller enterprises throughout the state."
        },
        {
          "text": "His experiences during the war served as the basis for his book."
        },
        {
          "text": "The area is served by a number of schools."
        },
        {
          "text": "The law no longer serves the function it once did."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "If something serves (as something), it used or useful for a certain purpose."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "transitive & intransitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "Intransitive verbs",
        "Transitive verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "John served in the army."
        },
        {
          "text": "He served as the director of the company from 1992 until 2003."
        },
        {
          "text": "He serves the king."
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "When you serve (as something), you work."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "transitive & intransitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "Transitive verbs"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "If you serve time in prison, you stay there because you are a criminal."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "Intransitive verbs",
        "Sports",
        "Transitive verbs"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "If you serve, in a game like tennis, you begin play by sending something like a ball over a net."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "transitive & intransitive",
        "sports"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/sɜːv/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/sɝv/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-serve.ogg",
      "raw_tags": [
        "Audio"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-au-serve.ogg",
      "raw_tags": [
        "Audio"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "serve"
}

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "serve",
      "tags": [
        "singular"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "serves",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "expansion": "[POS TABLE]",
      "name": "noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "Sports"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Whose serve is it?"
        },
        {
          "text": "That was a great serve!"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A serve in a game like tennis is the action beginning of play by sending something like a ball over a net."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "sports"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/sɜːv/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/sɝv/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-serve.ogg",
      "raw_tags": [
        "Audio"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-au-serve.ogg",
      "raw_tags": [
        "Audio"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "serve"
}

Download raw JSONL data for serve meaning in English (2.9kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-12-21 from the simplewiktionary dump dated 2024-12-20 using wiktextract (d8cb2f3 and 4e554ae). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.