(v. t.) To work for; to labor in behalf of; to exert one's self continuously or statedly for the benefit of; to do service for; to be in the employment of, as an inferior, domestic, serf, slave, hired assistant, official helper, etc.; specifically, in a religious sense, to obey and worship.
(v. t.) To be subordinate to; to act a secondary part under; to appear as the inferior of; to minister to.
(v. t.) To be suitor to; to profess love to.
(v. t.) To wait upon; to supply the wants of; to attend; specifically, to wait upon at table; to attend at meals; to supply with food; as, to serve customers in a shop.
(v. t.) Hence, to bring forward, arrange, deal, or distribute, as a portion of anything, especially of food prepared for eating; -- often with up; formerly with in.
(v. t.) To perform the duties belonging to, or required in or for; hence, to be of use to; as, a curate may serve two churches; to serve one's country.
(v. t.) To contribute or conduce to; to promote; to be sufficient for; to satisfy; as, to serve one's turn.
(v. t.) To answer or be (in the place of something) to; as, a sofa serves one for a seat and a couch.
(v. t.) To treat; to behave one's self to; to requite; to act toward; as, he served me very ill.
(v. t.) To work; to operate; as, to serve the guns.
(v. t.) To bring to notice, deliver, or execute, either actually or constructively, in such manner as the law requires; as, to serve a summons.
(v. t.) To make legal service opon (a person named in a writ, summons, etc.); as, to serve a witness with a subp/na.
(v. t.) To pass or spend, as time, esp. time of punishment; as, to serve a term in prison.
(v. t.) To copulate with; to cover; as, a horse serves a mare; -- said of the male.
(v. t.) To lead off in delivering (the ball).
(v. t.) To wind spun yarn, or the like, tightly around (a rope or cable, etc.) so as to protect it from chafing or from the weather. See under Serving.
(v. i.) To be a servant or a slave; to be employed in labor or other business for another; to be in subjection or bondage; to render menial service.
(v. i.) To perform domestic offices; to be occupied with household affairs; to prepare and dish up food, etc.
(v. i.) To be in service; to do duty; to discharge the requirements of an office or employment. Specifically, to act in the public service, as a soldier, seaman. etc.
(v. i.) To be of use; to answer a purpose; to suffice; to suit; to be convenient or favorable.
(v. i.) To lead off in delivering the ball.
Example Sentences:
(1) These variants may serve as useful gene markers in alcohol research involving animal model studies with inbred strains in mice.
(2) The results indicated that neuropsychological measures may serve to broaden the concept of intelligence and that a brain-related criterion may contribute to a fuller understanding of its nature.
(3) The possibility that the ventral nerve photoreceptor cells serve a neurosecretory function in the adult Limulus is discussed.
(4) Despite a 10-year deadline to have the same number of ethnic minority officers in the ranks as in the populations they serve, the target was missed and police are thousands of officers short.
(5) Evidence is presented in support of the hypothesis that fresh bat guano serves as a means of pathogenic fungi dissemination in caves.
(6) Human gingival fibroblasts were allowed to attach and spread on bio-glasses for 1-72 h. Unreactive silica glass and cell culture polystyrene served as controls.
(7) Abbott also unveiled his new ministry, which confirmed only one woman would serve in the first Abbott cabinet.
(8) Patients served as their individual control based on observations of at least 1 year before the study.
(9) It is entirely proper for serving judges to set out the arguments in high-profile cases to help public understanding of the legal issues, as long as it is done in an even-handed way.
(10) Female littermates injected with 0.15 M NaCl served as controls.
(11) One-half of the specimens were treated with citric acid, pH 1, for 3 minutes, while the remainder served as untreated control specimens.
(12) The functions of O-GlcNAc remain largely unknown, but it may be important in blocking phosphorylation sites, it may be required for the assembly of specific multiprotein complexes, it might serve as a nuclear transport signal, or it may be directly involved in the active transport of macromolecules across nuclear pores.
(13) It has 200 volunteers each week to serve 38,000 individuals.
(14) Child age was negatively correlated with mother's use of commands, reasoning, threats, and bribes, and positively correlated with maternal nondirectives, servings, and child compliance.
(15) We suggest that neuronal PACAP may serve to modulate motor activity and secretion in the lower esophageal sphincter region.
(16) In a poll before the debate, 48% predicted that Merkel, who will become Europe's longest serving leader if re-elected on 22 September, would emerge as the winner of the US-style debate, while 26% favoured Steinbruck, a former finance minister who is known for his quick-wit and rhetorical skills, but sometimes comes across as arrogant.
(17) Eight vagotomy-gastrectomy dogs were studied; 4 had a jejunal fistula, and 4 other dogs without a fistula served as controls.
(18) It is suggested the participation of glycogen (starch) in the self-oscillatory mechanism of the futile cycle formed by the phosphofructokinase and fructose bisphosphatase reactions may give rise to oscillations with the period of 10(3)-10(4) min, which may serve as the basis for the cell clock.
(19) Variables from the medical history, physical examination, laboratory tests, and radiographs were used to develop different sets of criteria to serve different investigative purposes.
(20) This system may serve as a model to explain the mechanisms by which cells accumulate in inflamed joints.