serve
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /sɜːv/
ipa: /sɝv/
ipa: /sɑː(ɹ)v/
rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)v
Forms: form: serves
Etymology: From Middle English serven, from Old French servir, from Latin serviō (“be a slave; serve”), from Latin servus (“slave; servant”), which perhaps derives from Etruscan (compare Etruscan proper names 𐌔𐌄𐌓𐌅𐌉 (servi), 𐌔𐌄𐌓𐌅𐌄 (serve)), or from Proto-Indo-European *ser- (“watch over, protect”).
Senses: examples: text: Whose serve is it?
text: He had no power serve of his own, no backhand, no volley, no lob, no idea of pace or tactics.
ref: 1961 January 13, Marshall Smith, “From Waif to a Winner, the Clown of the Courts”, in Life, page 99:
text: The first serve of the game is from the right half court to the half diagonally opposite.
ref: 1996, Steve Boga, Badminton, page viii:
text: Against a serve of the calibre of McEnroe′s, an opponent will try to anticipate the ball′s direction and lean either to the left or to the right, depending on where he feels the server will go.
ref: 2009, Mihnea Moldoveanu, Roger L. Martin, Diaminds: Decoding the Mental Habits of Successful Thinkers, page 31:
topics: hobbies
lifestyle
sports
glosses: An act of putting the ball or shuttlecock in play in various games.
examples: text: The night before your event, base your evening meal on high-carbohydrate foods with a small serve of lean protein.
ref: 2004, Susanna Holt, Fitness Food: The Essential Guide to Eating Well and Performing Better, Australia: Murdoch Books, page 23:
text: Come here for a cappuccino that could hold its own on Via Veneto in Rome (€2) and a serve of their crunchy fresh cheese börek.
ref: 2007, Verity Campbell, Turkey, Lonely Planet, page 142:
text: Reintroduce protein; add a small serve of salmon, tuna or sardines every second day (tinned variety or fresh).
ref: 2008, Michael E. Cichorski, Maximum Asthma Control: The Revolutionary 3-Step Anti Asthma Program, page 100:
text: Smirnoff Appleback was a finished drink, comprising a 50ml serve of Smirnoff, with ice and lemonade or ginger ale and equating to 1.9 units.
ref: 2011, Great Britain Parliament House of Commons Health Committee, Alcohol: First Report of Session 2009-10, volume 2, page 189:
text: One serve of carbohydrates is approximately equal to a slice of bread, a piece of fruit, third of a cup of cooked rice, half a cup of grains, cereals, starchy vegetables or cooked pasta, 200 grams of plain yoghurt, or 300 millilitres of milk.
ref: 2012, Lesley Campbell, Alan L. Rubin, Type 2 Diabetes For Dummies, Australian Edition, page 117:
glosses: A portion of food or drink, a serving.
examples: text: That white eyeliner is such a serve.
text: And, of course, there’s the video, which didn’t need to be such a serve since the song slapped so hard. But, it’s still iconic years later.
ref: 2019, Mathew Rodriguez, “The Official Ranking of Every Track on Britney Spears’ Debut Album”, in Out.com:
text: Taking a private jet in the middle of a pandemic is not the serve you think it is KenToya! What is a serve is the hazmat jumpsuit Marlo wears for the sprinter. Fashion x Covid Safety realness.
ref: 2021, Chris Murphy, “The Real Housewives of Atlanta Recap: Allow Me To ReintroDrewce Myself”, in Vulture:
qualifier: gay slang and African-American Vernacular
glosses: An impressive presentation (especially of a person's appearance).
Synonyms: sense: act of putting the ball or shuttlecock in play
word: service
sense: portion of food
word: serving
Derived terms: hold serve
offer versus serve
on serve
second serve
serve and volley
single-serve
soft serve