Definition of serve in English:

serve

verbsəːvsərv

[with object]

1Perform duties or services for (another person or an organization)
为（人，机构）服务
Malcolm has served the church very faithfully
马尔科姆非常忠诚地为教会服务。
Example sentencesExamples
- It's bad enough that they spend their lives serving us, but now, they have to die at our bidding, too?
- Further, he was a career professional, dedicated to serving Johnson.
- The girl grew up to be a well-behaved young lady, and when she was old enough, she served her father with all her heart and soul.
- He served these organizations for some 23 years till his retirement in March 1996.
- He has served with distinction for some years as the head of the Federal Reserve.
- And even though I was young I had already pledged my life to serving that woman, my duty was complete obedience to her.
- For now, she continues with her ministerial duties, serving the church she sees as part of her family.
- Ever since then he has served the group in various capacities.
- And he even once served on the board of the New York Stock Exchange.
- You are out there supporting and serving your professional organization.
- Recently a priest who had served for years as an official in the chancery office was ordained an auxiliary bishop.
- Advisory Editors currently serving on the board are listed on the masthead.
- The tale takes place 500 years ago and begins in the house of a Novgorod merchant, where horseman Antti and his wife Anne are serving their master.
- He had previously served the club as a goalkeeper and then centre forward for ten years.
- I will continue to serve this organization with all my energy, wisdom, and passion as I have done in the past.
- I once served on a social committee and it was always hard organising things to make people happy.
Synonyms
work for, be in the service of, perform duties for, be employed by, have a job with
obey, be obedient to, carry out the wishes of
be of service to, be of use to, help, give help to, assist, give assistance to, aid, lend a hand to, give a helping hand to, do a good turn to, make a contribution to, do one's bit for, do something for, benefit
minister to, succour
be a member of, work on, be on, sit on, have/hold a place on, perform duties on, carry out duties on
1. 1.1 Provide (an area or group of people) with a product or service.
  为（一地区，一群人）提供产品（或服务）
  a hospital which serves a large area of Wales
  为威尔士一大块地区提供服务的医院。
  Example sentencesExamples
  Its retail sector serves an area that extends for miles on either side of the Strait.
  The area is currently served by 28 branches which, according to company bosses, is too many to survive.
  Would it be better to have a team of priests in a central house serving a group of parishes?
  If you value the land-grant tradition, and we do, we know we need to serve that group of consumers.
  We wanted something that would serve every age group.
  Are there agencies in the community that also serve complementary groups?
  Besides Hong Kong and Shenzhen, the area is served by airports in Macao and Zhuhai.
  They have provided and maintained a fleet of 160 ambulances that serve remote areas of the Chernobyl region.
  The firm, which has a network of branches in the area served by the hospice, is paying for a crucial element of the appeal.
  The Barbican is the only pool on the south side of York that is within walking distance of the city centre and Yearsley serves a wide area.
  The area is served by 28 branches which, according to the company, is too many chasing too few customers.
  They compared the locations with the current spread of population and realised that some areas were not served as well as they should be.
  The basic initial idea is to have small buses, serving local areas providing daytime services to those most needing them.
  Different laboratory test menus may be needed in different locales to properly serve the ethnic groups in the community.
  Paddy employees over 30 people from the local area and with their expertise, they serve sites all over Ireland.
  These managers are starting to look at how much it will cost to serve a group of farmers.
  This scheme serves an area which stretches to a radius of 10 miles outside Claremorris.
  As a market hall serving a bustling group of traders and agricultural merchants, it must have been perfect for the job.
  He said the system had functioned well in the past and did not serve any specific group.
  The chosen route linked central London to Docklands by heading south of the Thames into areas previously poorly served by underground services.
  Synonyms
  provide for, oblige, meet the needs of, meet the wants of, accommodate, entertain, receive
2. 1.2no object Be employed as a member of the armed forces.
  服兵役
  he had hoped to serve with the Medical Corps
  他曾希望跟着医疗队服役。
  Example sentencesExamples
  Some 15,904 African-American officers are now serving in the military.
  He left the Army in 1945 with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, having served with the Infantry, Engineers and Gunners.
  But each time, your employer supported you and made it easy for you to serve in the Army Reserve.
  You would be proud of the Soldiers serving in the Army.
  He passed this pride on to his children who he encouraged to serve in the Armed Forces.
  Gay men and lesbian women have served honorably in the military since our founding.
  She's also serving with the Army Reserve's 444th Quartermaster Company in Sioux City.
  Members of the military who are serving outside the USA or Puerto Rico, but who aren't in a combat zone, have until June 15 to file their taxes.
  A young New Zealand soldier serving overseas writes to his family.
  They served in the armies of France and Spain as well as of Britain.
  While men remain the majority in the military, women too are serving with distinction.
  He has previous military experience, having served with the French Foreign Legion.
  I'm a former enlisted sailor serving with the U.S. Army.
  For these reasons, youth are less and less inclined to serve in the military.
  He served in the army for two years before joining his father in practice.
  During his career he served mostly with Army Special Forces, known as the Green Berets.
  He served with distinction in the Mexican war and was promoted captain in 1856.
  There is a widening difference in values and perspectives between Americans serving in our armed forces, including the Army, and the society they serve.
  Both men served honorably in the armed forces during World War II.
  They should be standard issue for all of our troops serving overseas.
3. 1.3 Spend (a period) in office, in an apprenticeship, or in prison.
  任职；做学徒；服刑
  he is serving a ten-year jail sentence
  他正处于十年监禁的服刑期间。
  Example sentencesExamples
  He is currently serving a prison sentence for his role in the embassy bombings.
  Some of those sentenced to home detention would have been serving short periods of imprisonment for less serious offences.
  These resisters are arrested, tried, and often sentenced to serve long terms in prison and jail.
  They spoke openly about their prognosis when they realised they would have to serve eight months in prison.
  He served two terms in prison last year, for dangerous driving and then for breaking a curfew order.
  By then he was serving another prison term for snatching a bag from another woman.
  He served a year in prison - including eight months in solitary confinement.
  He will serve three years in prison, with a further five under strict supervision to ensure he does not re-offend following his release.
  He was told he must serve three-and-a-half years in prison before his case is considered for parole.
  If he is recalled to prison he will inevitably serve a greater period in custody than the original tariff.
  She was appealing against the sentence after magistrates ordered her to serve one day in prison for the theft and then complete the rest of her sentence for robbery.
  He is still liable to serve ten years in prison for traces of heroin in a needle found at his house.
  And after serving a prison term for committing a financial crime, he convinced the prison librarian to move with him to his hometown.
  However, I felt that serving a prison term was better than living with him and the abuse.
  He retired from the Army in 1977 after serving 20 years on active duty.
  He has had a number of brushes with the law over the years and has also served custodial sentences.
  ‘All the funds are available and now it is up to her to volunteer them, or serve another year in prison,’ he said.
  She has, however, continued to hold the powerful office and is now serving a second term that will run till December 2005.
  He was sentenced to five years and six months jail, and he served three years and nine months.
  He is now out of prison, having served three years.
  Synonyms
  carry out, perform, do, fulfil, complete, discharge
  spend, go through
2Present (food or drink) to someone.
供应，上（食物，饮料）
they serve wine instead of beer
他们供应葡萄酒而不是啤酒。
serve white wines chilled
上冰镇白葡萄酒。
Example sentencesExamples
- There's a four-course meal served by waiters.
- Wherever possible, ask that hot food is served piping hot and ensure that cold food has been kept cool.
- Meanwhile, back in the wine bar, the barman returned and served our drinks.
- It was mayhem, fuelled by bar staff and a pub industry all too willing to serve drink after drink after drink.
- The meeting finished with a social half hour and some tasty refreshments served by hostesses for the evening.
- The meals are typically served with salads, rice and other side orders.
- I like to serve this dessert in individual glasses - wine glasses or tumblers are equally good.
- We'd stopped, when the waitress came to serve our pizza and drinks.
- The third supervises the tavern and the food and drink being served by her husbands.
- There are countless jobs and professions that are far more dangerous than serving food or drink in the presence of secondhand smoke.
- The working committee thank all who came and those who prepared the food and served the tea.
- Refreshments were served and to mark the occasion certificates were presented to all the children who took part.
- They went to the kitchens, and found the kitchen workers ready to serve cookies and drinks on the spot.
- Once they had settled, and he had served the food and drink, Lauren stood up.
- Refreshments were served afterwards which included various types of drinks and edibles.
- Isabelle received a cup of wine from a man serving drinks.
- Refreshments were served afterwards by the female staff.
- The meal was served with a large side salad and baked potatoes with sour cream.
- There were plenty of mushrooms and the dish was also served with potatoes, broccoli and carrots.
- That evening they served food and drinks to the guest of Master Shay.
Synonyms
dish up/out, give out, distribute, set out, plate up, spoon out, ladle out
present, provide, supply, make available
1. 2.1 Present (someone) with food or drink.
  为（人）上食物（或饮料）
  the cafe refused to serve him with the tea
  咖啡馆拒绝卖茶给他。
  with two objects Peter served them generous portions of soup
  彼得给他们端上了分量很足的汤。
  Example sentencesExamples
  His eyes were following Michelle was she moved around the café taking orders and serving people their food.
  While most people find themselves doing fabulous things on Friday nights, I find myself either serving people food or buying it for myself.
  I've also noticed, no matter how hard I try, I can't smile at fast food staff when they serve me.
  The guy waited till he had served me the drinks, told me it was fine to run up a tab, took my credit card, and then told me that the kitchen wasn't opening for another forty minutes.
  I find it very comforting to know that the owners feed their children the same food that they serve me.
  A group of women were surrounding him, serving him food and drinks.
  There used to be a young man there who would greet me with a welcoming smile and serve me the food efficiently.
  As the barman finished serving the group he acknowledged me.
  And after serving him his food, he made me sit down and talk with him about all these philosophical ideas: love, life, and the works.
  She not only insulted me when I served her a drink, but she scared me halfway out of my mind.
  It is also customary to serve people food and drink when they visit a home.
  The distributor told us to eat all our meals at the hotel restaurant because they could serve us Western-style food.
  There were two dives that day but first we were served up a great lunch, and I have to say it was some of the best food I have had in a long time.
  I was served a very generous portion and it was delicious.
  Michael had served me a drink, but I had just let it sat on a nearby table.
  After about ten minutes he was served the wrong drinks.
  We were the first guests of the afternoon and after a long wait they served us our food.
  We ordered coffee after a long journey to be told if we weren't lunching they wouldn't serve us drinks.
  You don't have to eye up drinks I serve you suspiciously.
  The slave was being taken from fire to fire to serve the men their food.
  Synonyms
  act as waiter/waitress, wait, distribute food/refreshments
  North American informal sling hash, sling plates
2. 2.2 (of food or drink) be enough for.
  （食物，饮料）足够；够
  the recipe serves four people
  这一菜谱为四人量。
  Example sentencesExamples
  Thai food is significantly less meat-intensive than American, and half a pound of meat is enough to serve four.
  This recipe makes enough to serve four as a main course, more as a side dish.
3. 2.3British Attend to (a customer in a shop)
  接待（顾客）
  she turned to serve the impatient customer
  她转身去接待那个不耐烦的顾客。
  Example sentencesExamples
  The shop served its last customers on Friday after being based on Newmarket Street for more than 17 years.
  Mark, Andrew and Esther were in the shop front, serving customers.
  Among Mike's duties yesterday were serving customers, tidying up and putting security tags on items of clothing.
  Shop managers cannot do anything because they are serving a queue of customers.
  Sofi finished serving her customer and asked one of her shop assistant to take over.
  She took it without hesitation and wandered off to serve the other customers.
  Mary didn't say anything more, she finally forced the smile her face had been promising and then went back to serving the other customers.
  Called Serenade, the Victoria Road shop was serving its first customers today.
  Also I think it is so rude to be in a shop and being served whilst having a chat on the phone.
  It was the husband of the woman who had served Freya in the shop.
  The story begins with Bruno the Bear, the proud owner of a sweet shop, serving Olga, the Russian owner of an animal circus.
  Synonyms
  attend to, give one's attention to, attend to the requirements of, deal with, see to
  assist, help, look after, take care of
4. 2.4 Supply (goods) to a customer.
  提供（商品）给顾客
5. 2.5Christian Church no object Act as a server at the celebration of the Eucharist.
  〔基督教〕在弥撒中担任助祭
6. 2.6archaic with two objects Play (a trick) on (someone)
  〈古〉对…耍（花招）；开（某人）（玩笑）
  I remember the trick you served me
  我记得你对我开的玩笑。
3Law
Deliver (a document such as a summons or writ) in a formal manner to the person to whom it is addressed.
〔律〕送达（传票、令状等）
the court then issues the summons and serves it on your debtor
法庭然后签署传票送达你的债务人。
Example sentencesExamples
- The prisoner had already served notice of application to appeal to the final court.
- Enforcement notices are only served as a last resort, when all efforts to negotiate have failed.
- Writs were served on 30 councillors, who were jailed for their pains in September 1921.
- Empanelling a grand jury empowers prosecutors both to serve subpoenas, and to gather testimony under oath.
- He said the minister would be seeking quashing of the arrest warrant against him on the ground that no summons were served on him.
1. 3.1 Deliver a document to (the addressee) in a formal manner.
  向…送达文书
  they were just about to serve him with a writ
  他们正准备给他送达一张令状。
  Example sentencesExamples
  He was then served with an appropriate prosecution statement and ordered to respond by 7th September.
  We understand you were served with documents from the defense.
  While defendant was in custody awaiting an extradition hearing he was served with the Complaint herein.
  As a consequence, the police were unable to locate him to serve him with a subpoena.
  When the breath tests were completed, he was served with the appropriate documentation and released on a promise to appear.
  Synonyms
  deliver to, present with, give to, hand over to, cause to accept
4Be of use in achieving or satisfying.
实现；满足
this book will serve a useful purpose
这本书将会派上用途。
the union came into existence to serve the interests of musicians
协会的成立是为了满足音乐家的利益。
Example sentencesExamples
- His selective memory serves no interest but his own agenda.
- Any such individual action would be irresponsible and unwarranted and would serve no useful purpose.
- The goal was the worthy one of racial integration, but it was served by treating children differently based on their race.
- It does serve his political strategy to stay away from the facts.
- They do not satisfy hunger and serve no purpose other than to make the companies that make them wealthy.
- Organizational culture establishes norms and expectations of how people should be treated and serve the needs of the organization.
- Even if debunked, the book serves a valuable purpose by encouraging new ways of thinking about intelligence and efforts to build intelligent computers.
- It points to a post-medical age, where doctors serve desires rather than treat disease.
- What useful purpose is served by stigmatizing work that someone is going to have to do anyway?
- I am not convinced that any especially useful purpose would be served by that.
- A price war, he warns his prospective rivals, will serve neither party's interests.
- The very existence of law on the statute books serves the purpose.
- The proposed lake, which has caused some concern locally in case it affects underground water supplies, will serve three purposes.
- Laser shots and explosions are fairly generic but serve the purpose well.
- In essence, the board of directors tries to make sure that shareholders' interests are well served.
- Dropping down into the second team would serve no useful purpose.
- I don't think he serves any useful purpose for the Democrats.
- Also, officers have the added functions of setting goals and inspiring others to achieve them to serve this purpose.
- Indeed, they may tend to serve this function even better than traditional media.
- It serves no other useful purpose than to inspire and feed the soul.
Synonyms
suffice, be adequate, be good enough, be all right, fit/fill the bill, do, answer
be useful, serve a purpose, meet requirements, suit
1. 4.1no object Be of some specified use.
  有用，起作用
  the square now serves as the town's chief car park
  广场现在用作该镇的主要停车场。
  with infinitive sweat serves to cool down the body
  出汗起到给身体降温的作用。
  Example sentencesExamples
  A weblog serves as a perfect tool for disseminating this type of information.
  The president serves as the soul of a university, with his/her personality, morality and educational ideas usually having a profound influence on the university culture.
  Armstrong serves as an inspiration to many and is clearly one of the most significant contributors to black culture of the 20th, and perhaps any, century.
  Though certainly these later developments served to reinforce and spread the use of such techniques.
  This kind of reasoning is, of course, nonsense, but it serves as an illustration of the danger in concocting fanciful theories based on historical precedents.
  A salvaged piece of marble serves as the countertop.
  First and primarily, military advice serves to set a baseline for the analysis of any proposed intervention.
  The exercise not only serves as warning, punishment, or purge but also advertises to his subjects, his enemies, and his potential rivals that he is strong.
  But the case serves as a warning that the industry will have to find a new way of distributing music which appeals to these kids, and the growing number of people who are searching for their entertainment online.
  However, it just so happens that a human being standing on the ground near the object serves as a perfectly good conductor as well.
  The above examples serve to underline how limited our philosophy of health has become.
  It's almost like a superhero film, with magic tricks serving as Danny's powers, helping him solve any sticky situation.
  That's why an old photograph taped to the refrigerator door serves as a daily reminder of the girl she once was.
  Elastomer and fabric device serves as both a seal and a filter.
  The photographic imprint serves as a substitute.
  A sheet of red outdoor fabric serves as the roof.
  The whole episode has already served to highlight a number of important economic issues.
  History will serve only to remind us that man's reach always exceeds his grasp.
  Having students present the same material during lab served to reinforce their knowledge.
  All of this served to underline the dangers, as much as the benefits, of nationalism.
  Synonyms
  act as, function as, fulfil the function of, do duty as, do the work of, act as a substitute for
2. 4.2with object and adverbial Treat (someone) in a specified way.
  对待
  Cornish homeowners wonder if they are being fairly served
  康沃尔郡的房主们想知道他们是否正受到公平对待。
  Example sentencesExamples
  A positive attitude toward others is a strategy that serves you throughout any interaction.
  He identifies the televevangelist model of religious dissemination as one aspect in a wider media strategy that serves the power holders and encourages passivity in people.
  I can't deny that this strategy has served me well in the short term.
  A strategy that has served me well is to pack lightweight, situation-specific bags and boxes.
  Which are you - do you take the plunge, or do you play it safe, and does your strategy serve you well?
  It has served Private Eye fairly well over the years.
  They've been busy painting, drawing comics and playing in side projects, and the breather has served them well.
  He maintained the risk-free strategy that has served him so well in recent rallies.
  For millions of years, while big sharks had few natural predators, this survival strategy served them well.
  A second bird dislocated a shoulder and his wing would never be strong enough to serve him in the wild.
  On three occasions, this strategy has served him well, but his dog funds show the downside of this approach.
  I certainly anticipate that the hummingbird will serve them well for many years to come.
  The strategy of deterrence which served us so well during the decades of the Cold War will no longer do.
  Facts that did not serve him were treated like unruly underlings.
  Synonyms
  treat, deal with, act towards, behave towards, conduct oneself towards, handle
3. 4.3 (of a male breeding animal) copulate with (a female).
  （雄性种畜）与（雌性）交配
5no object (in tennis and other racket sports) hit the ball or shuttlecock to begin play for each point of a game.
（网球等用拍的运动）发球
he tossed the ball up to serve
他把球抛起发球。
with object serve the ball on to the front wall
朝着前面的墙发球。
Example sentencesExamples
- He got the message, gave Gracie and me a salute, and ran back to his game, serving the ball and acing it.
- Before serving in the final game, Pierce had a trainer apply treatment and massage her aching shoulder.
- The players exchange words at the beginning of the game as Scott accuses his opponent of failing to tell him he was serving with new balls in the previous game.
- Taking a deep breath, I took my stance, and served that fuzzy yellow ball with all my might.
- Everyone fell silent though when the prince raised his racket and ball to serve.
1. 5.1serve out Win the final game of a set or match while serving.
  〔网球〕发球赢得最后的比赛
  Fitzgerald then served out for the set
  费茨杰拉德本局最后一场凭发球取胜。
  Example sentencesExamples
  Safin made the crucial break at 4-4 in the final set, and served out the next game to clinch the match.
  He won only one more game in that set to allow the American to take the set 6-3 and then dropped serve in the ninth game of the third set to enable Fish to serve out the match.
  He served out the final game at love, hitting a 119 mph second serve for a winner on match point.
  A second double-fault allowed Kiefer to break again to lead 5-2 but he failed to serve out the match, putting a forehand wide down the line on break point.
  Davenport slammed three winners to serve out the final game for the win.
6Nautical
Bind (a rope) with thin cord to protect or strengthen it.
〔航海〕卷缠（绳索）
7Military
Operate (a gun)
〔军〕操作（枪炮）
before long Lodge was the only man in his section able to serve the guns
很快洛奇就成了小队里唯一能操作枪炮的人了。
Example sentencesExamples
- It was even said that she carried hot coffee to all the officers and then carried more hot coffee in pails to the artilleryman serving the guns.

nounsəːvsərv

1(in tennis and other racket sports) an act of hitting the ball or shuttlecock to start play.
（网球等用拍的运动）发球
he was let down by an erratic serve
一个怪异的发球使他失误了。
Example sentencesExamples
- In fact, he conceded only 12 points on his serve in nine service games.
- With the big serves in today's tennis, I'm not sure this match will ever be equalled.
- Rafter chipped and charged on Agassi's second serves.
- In pro tennis serves can sometimes reach speeds over 209 kph, or 185 feet per second.
- He could hardly get a serve into court, seemed too tall and cumbersome to move well or bend, and looked thoroughly outclassed.
2Australian informal A reprimand.
〈澳，非正式〉申斥
he would be willing to give the country a serve in an English newspaper
他会愿意在一家英国报纸上给该国一顿申斥。
Example sentencesExamples
- The opposition parties pressed their advantages home and gave Labour a strong serve in Parliament.
- Be grateful that you only got a bit of a serve from your boss rather than no pay at the end of the week.
- But that doesn't mean that company X isn't going to get a serve on customer service, or the lack of.
- In March this year she gave him a serve in her media column.
- He suddenly turned holier-than-thou to give them a serve.
Synonyms
reprimand, rebuke, reproof, remonstrance, reproach, admonishment, stricture, lecture, criticism, recrimination, tirade, diatribe, philippic, harangue, attack

Phrases

if my memory serves (me)

If I remember correctly.
如果我没记错的话
if my memory serves me, this is not the first time
Example sentencesExamples
- Recently I recall a player going to the courts to seek justice for a severe injury (a broken jaw if my memory serves me correctly) he received in a Gaelic football match.
- At 62 she rarely betrayed her age and, if my memory serves me correctly, she performed a number of encores to thank the very enthusiastic audience.
- It was passed by State Parliament and if my memory serves me correctly the coalition opposition supported the bill.
- I think you were allowed seven minutes if my memory serves me correctly.
- And if my memory serves me correctly the girls who work there are little angels.

serve at table

Act as a waiter.
当侍者
she was reduced to the landlord's daughter who served at table
Example sentencesExamples
- One day while serving at table he was reprimanded for not paying attention to his duties.
- Apart from serving at table he listened sympathetically to their life-stories, encouraged them and praised their endeavours.
- French waiters are highly trained in the art of serving at table, but sometimes customers would happily settle for less expertise - if only there were more of them so that they didn't have to wait so long to be served.
- They were served at table by a disciplined army of girls.
- He was not a factor but ‘was employed as a footman in livery and served at table and occasionally dressed and took care of his Masters Horses.’

serve someone right

Be someone's deserved punishment or misfortune.
罪有应得；活该
it would serve you right if Jeff walked out on you
如果杰夫离你而去的话，那你活该。
Example sentencesExamples
- Their scheming, however, will backfire when they find themselves sidelined and excluded from any future debates on major world affairs and might I say - it serves them right!
- I mean, it serves them right for including such a confusing item on their checklist, right?
- Ah well… serves me right for trying to have a social life, right?
- Instead, he told me it served me right for looking to a place like that for self-affirmation.
- If you're dumb enough to walk into a sign it serves you right, you do not deserve money.
- It serves them right for charging a ridiculous amount to park and for not ensuring the safety of our cars.
- It would serve them right if they were shut down as a result of the same disregard for public opinion and democracy.
- Yes I know it would serve us right for our wastefulness and greed and selfishness and indifference to the lives of millions of people on this planet who have never enjoyed what we take for granted.
- He was correct as usual, and it basically served me right.
- I had a head under the covers morning, following on and serving me right for my festive over-indulgence at dinner last night.

serve one's time

1Hold office for the normal period.
任期内任职
every sergeant had served his time as a constable
Example sentencesExamples
- These individuals, after they serve their time in the states, will be deported, and one of our goals is to make sure that when they're deported, they don't come back.
- If he is not in death row and he's serving out his time in a maximum-security prison, he will be afforded special treatment, if you will.
- He was appointed to the post of county manager after serving his time as county engineer in Donegal.
- There are new questions about the military's policy for calling up troops who have already served their time.
- If he really served his time in the National Guard during the Vietnam War, he could easily prove it.
1. 1.1Spend time in office, in an apprenticeship, or in prison.
  任职；做学徒；服刑
  he is serving time in Swansea Prison
  Example sentencesExamples
  Most of the former soldiers have already served time in Soviet prisons for war crimes.
  He says he robbed banks and served time in prison.
  You will never see me on the front lines - I am in complete moral opposition to war, and would rather serve time in prison than spend time with a rifle.
  They were sentenced to 15 months, but given a suspended sentence, which means they didn't have to serve time in prison.
  They finally tracked him down to an English prison where he was serving time for a similar crime but under a false name.

serve one's/its turn

Be useful or helpful.
now that they have served their turn, cut some of them out
suppressing his ire would hardly serve his turn at this juncture
Example sentencesExamples
- The charges against her were preposterous and she denied them with dignity, but she had never been popular and they served their turn.
- His stupidity served his turn on this occasion better than cunning would have done.
- ‘Then I'll look up; my fault is past,’ he took a steadying breath, ‘But, O, what form of prayer can serve my turn?’
- It also confined him as a novelist to a style and mode of fiction that served its turn, but now seems embedded as a ‘cultural event’, as some like to say, as much as work we read because we like fiction.
- If I could only get a single good, meaty sentence which seemed to convey some sort of definite human idea, it would serve my turn.
- If the play makes the public aware that there are such people as phoneticians, and that they are among its most important people in England at present, it will serve its turn.
- History throws individuals away once they have served their turn.
- His section is the most aristocratic of the parties at present, and I doubt if it would serve my turn to follow his example.

serve two masters

Take orders from two superiors or follow two conflicting or opposing principles or policies at the same time.
侍二主；同时遵循两种相悖的原则（或政策）
it is never easy to serve two masters
Example sentencesExamples
- But that's exactly what's happening because of a gargantuan conflict of interest: The giant mutual funds are serving two masters.
- And it was not working, this attempt to serve two masters.
- She added that psychiatrists can end up serving two masters when they get into the position of being an administrator rather than a clinician, and a choice has to be made.
- It is law layered with politics, which, as a lawyer, I can tell you is the worst kind of fact situation you can find, because you end up serving two masters and it's almost an impossible situation.
- You have to serve two masters: the president of the United States, and you also try to help the Washington press corps do its job.
- This arrogant contempt for our local town and parish councils by Bradford shows that you cannot serve two masters.
- If other parties do not want to be stained by the suggestion that they serve two masters, I suggest that they should move amendments to exempt themselves.
- Instead, they create this shared management - and no man can serve two masters happily - across all of New Zealand potentially.
- That means he must serve two masters - company shareholders and fund investors - whose interests may not always be in sync.
- A man cannot serve two masters - eventually, you will be forced to choose.

Origin

Middle English: from Old French servir, from Latin servire, from servus 'slave'.

Rhymes

conserve, curve, Deneuve, derv, hors d'oeuvre, nerve, observe, roman-fleuve, subserve, swerve, verve

Definition of serve in US English:

serve

verbsərvsərv

[with object]

1Perform duties or services for (another person or an organization)
为（人，机构）服务
Malcolm has served the church very faithfully
马尔科姆非常忠诚地为教会服务。
Example sentencesExamples
- Further, he was a career professional, dedicated to serving Johnson.
- He had previously served the club as a goalkeeper and then centre forward for ten years.
- And even though I was young I had already pledged my life to serving that woman, my duty was complete obedience to her.
- Recently a priest who had served for years as an official in the chancery office was ordained an auxiliary bishop.
- I will continue to serve this organization with all my energy, wisdom, and passion as I have done in the past.
- It's bad enough that they spend their lives serving us, but now, they have to die at our bidding, too?
- And he even once served on the board of the New York Stock Exchange.
- The tale takes place 500 years ago and begins in the house of a Novgorod merchant, where horseman Antti and his wife Anne are serving their master.
- For now, she continues with her ministerial duties, serving the church she sees as part of her family.
- The girl grew up to be a well-behaved young lady, and when she was old enough, she served her father with all her heart and soul.
- He has served with distinction for some years as the head of the Federal Reserve.
- I once served on a social committee and it was always hard organising things to make people happy.
- He served these organizations for some 23 years till his retirement in March 1996.
- You are out there supporting and serving your professional organization.
- Ever since then he has served the group in various capacities.
- Advisory Editors currently serving on the board are listed on the masthead.
Synonyms
work for, be in the service of, perform duties for, be employed by, have a job with
be of service to, be of use to, help, give help to, assist, give assistance to, aid, lend a hand to, give a helping hand to, do a good turn to, make a contribution to, do one's bit for, do something for, benefit
be a member of, work on, be on, sit on, have a place on, hold a place on, perform duties on, carry out duties on
1. 1.1 Provide (an area or group of people) with a product or service.
  为（一地区，一群人）提供产品（或服务）
  a telecommunications company that serves southern New England
  Example sentencesExamples
  They compared the locations with the current spread of population and realised that some areas were not served as well as they should be.
  Would it be better to have a team of priests in a central house serving a group of parishes?
  Besides Hong Kong and Shenzhen, the area is served by airports in Macao and Zhuhai.
  Different laboratory test menus may be needed in different locales to properly serve the ethnic groups in the community.
  If you value the land-grant tradition, and we do, we know we need to serve that group of consumers.
  Are there agencies in the community that also serve complementary groups?
  He said the system had functioned well in the past and did not serve any specific group.
  They have provided and maintained a fleet of 160 ambulances that serve remote areas of the Chernobyl region.
  The basic initial idea is to have small buses, serving local areas providing daytime services to those most needing them.
  These managers are starting to look at how much it will cost to serve a group of farmers.
  This scheme serves an area which stretches to a radius of 10 miles outside Claremorris.
  As a market hall serving a bustling group of traders and agricultural merchants, it must have been perfect for the job.
  The area is currently served by 28 branches which, according to company bosses, is too many to survive.
  The area is served by 28 branches which, according to the company, is too many chasing too few customers.
  The chosen route linked central London to Docklands by heading south of the Thames into areas previously poorly served by underground services.
  We wanted something that would serve every age group.
  Its retail sector serves an area that extends for miles on either side of the Strait.
  Paddy employees over 30 people from the local area and with their expertise, they serve sites all over Ireland.
  The firm, which has a network of branches in the area served by the hospice, is paying for a crucial element of the appeal.
  The Barbican is the only pool on the south side of York that is within walking distance of the city centre and Yearsley serves a wide area.
  Synonyms
  provide for, oblige, meet the needs of, meet the wants of, accommodate, entertain, receive
2. 1.2no object Be employed as a member of the armed forces.
  服兵役
  a military engineer who served with the army
  Example sentencesExamples
  You would be proud of the Soldiers serving in the Army.
  A young New Zealand soldier serving overseas writes to his family.
  He left the Army in 1945 with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, having served with the Infantry, Engineers and Gunners.
  They should be standard issue for all of our troops serving overseas.
  For these reasons, youth are less and less inclined to serve in the military.
  While men remain the majority in the military, women too are serving with distinction.
  He has previous military experience, having served with the French Foreign Legion.
  I'm a former enlisted sailor serving with the U.S. Army.
  They served in the armies of France and Spain as well as of Britain.
  He passed this pride on to his children who he encouraged to serve in the Armed Forces.
  She's also serving with the Army Reserve's 444th Quartermaster Company in Sioux City.
  Both men served honorably in the armed forces during World War II.
  But each time, your employer supported you and made it easy for you to serve in the Army Reserve.
  He served in the army for two years before joining his father in practice.
  Some 15,904 African-American officers are now serving in the military.
  There is a widening difference in values and perspectives between Americans serving in our armed forces, including the Army, and the society they serve.
  During his career he served mostly with Army Special Forces, known as the Green Berets.
  Gay men and lesbian women have served honorably in the military since our founding.
  Members of the military who are serving outside the USA or Puerto Rico, but who aren't in a combat zone, have until June 15 to file their taxes.
  He served with distinction in the Mexican war and was promoted captain in 1856.
3. 1.3 Spend (a period) in office, in an apprenticeship, or in prison.
  任职；做学徒；服刑
  he is serving a ten-year jail sentence
  他正处于十年监禁的服刑期间。
  Example sentencesExamples
  By then he was serving another prison term for snatching a bag from another woman.
  ‘All the funds are available and now it is up to her to volunteer them, or serve another year in prison,’ he said.
  He has had a number of brushes with the law over the years and has also served custodial sentences.
  However, I felt that serving a prison term was better than living with him and the abuse.
  They spoke openly about their prognosis when they realised they would have to serve eight months in prison.
  He will serve three years in prison, with a further five under strict supervision to ensure he does not re-offend following his release.
  He retired from the Army in 1977 after serving 20 years on active duty.
  She has, however, continued to hold the powerful office and is now serving a second term that will run till December 2005.
  He was told he must serve three-and-a-half years in prison before his case is considered for parole.
  He is now out of prison, having served three years.
  If he is recalled to prison he will inevitably serve a greater period in custody than the original tariff.
  Some of those sentenced to home detention would have been serving short periods of imprisonment for less serious offences.
  And after serving a prison term for committing a financial crime, he convinced the prison librarian to move with him to his hometown.
  She was appealing against the sentence after magistrates ordered her to serve one day in prison for the theft and then complete the rest of her sentence for robbery.
  He was sentenced to five years and six months jail, and he served three years and nine months.
  He is still liable to serve ten years in prison for traces of heroin in a needle found at his house.
  He served a year in prison - including eight months in solitary confinement.
  These resisters are arrested, tried, and often sentenced to serve long terms in prison and jail.
  He served two terms in prison last year, for dangerous driving and then for breaking a curfew order.
  He is currently serving a prison sentence for his role in the embassy bombings.
  Synonyms
  carry out, perform, do, fulfil, complete, discharge
2Present (food or drink) to someone.
供应，上（食物，饮料）
they serve wine instead of beer
他们供应葡萄酒而不是啤酒。
serve white wines chilled
上冰镇白葡萄酒。
Example sentencesExamples
- It was mayhem, fuelled by bar staff and a pub industry all too willing to serve drink after drink after drink.
- I like to serve this dessert in individual glasses - wine glasses or tumblers are equally good.
- Wherever possible, ask that hot food is served piping hot and ensure that cold food has been kept cool.
- There were plenty of mushrooms and the dish was also served with potatoes, broccoli and carrots.
- Refreshments were served afterwards by the female staff.
- We'd stopped, when the waitress came to serve our pizza and drinks.
- The meal was served with a large side salad and baked potatoes with sour cream.
- Meanwhile, back in the wine bar, the barman returned and served our drinks.
- The meals are typically served with salads, rice and other side orders.
- That evening they served food and drinks to the guest of Master Shay.
- Isabelle received a cup of wine from a man serving drinks.
- Refreshments were served and to mark the occasion certificates were presented to all the children who took part.
- Refreshments were served afterwards which included various types of drinks and edibles.
- There are countless jobs and professions that are far more dangerous than serving food or drink in the presence of secondhand smoke.
- The meeting finished with a social half hour and some tasty refreshments served by hostesses for the evening.
- There's a four-course meal served by waiters.
- The working committee thank all who came and those who prepared the food and served the tea.
- They went to the kitchens, and found the kitchen workers ready to serve cookies and drinks on the spot.
- The third supervises the tavern and the food and drink being served by her husbands.
- Once they had settled, and he had served the food and drink, Lauren stood up.
Synonyms
dish out, dish up, give out, distribute, set out, plate up, spoon out, ladle out
1. 2.1 Present (someone) with food or drink.
  为（人）上食物（或饮料）
  with two objects Peter served them generous portions of soup
  彼得给他们端上了分量很足的汤。
  I'll serve you with coffee and cake
  Example sentencesExamples
  I find it very comforting to know that the owners feed their children the same food that they serve me.
  The guy waited till he had served me the drinks, told me it was fine to run up a tab, took my credit card, and then told me that the kitchen wasn't opening for another forty minutes.
  It is also customary to serve people food and drink when they visit a home.
  I've also noticed, no matter how hard I try, I can't smile at fast food staff when they serve me.
  A group of women were surrounding him, serving him food and drinks.
  We were the first guests of the afternoon and after a long wait they served us our food.
  There were two dives that day but first we were served up a great lunch, and I have to say it was some of the best food I have had in a long time.
  I was served a very generous portion and it was delicious.
  His eyes were following Michelle was she moved around the café taking orders and serving people their food.
  Michael had served me a drink, but I had just let it sat on a nearby table.
  After about ten minutes he was served the wrong drinks.
  The slave was being taken from fire to fire to serve the men their food.
  The distributor told us to eat all our meals at the hotel restaurant because they could serve us Western-style food.
  She not only insulted me when I served her a drink, but she scared me halfway out of my mind.
  While most people find themselves doing fabulous things on Friday nights, I find myself either serving people food or buying it for myself.
  You don't have to eye up drinks I serve you suspiciously.
  We ordered coffee after a long journey to be told if we weren't lunching they wouldn't serve us drinks.
  There used to be a young man there who would greet me with a welcoming smile and serve me the food efficiently.
  And after serving him his food, he made me sit down and talk with him about all these philosophical ideas: love, life, and the works.
  As the barman finished serving the group he acknowledged me.
  Synonyms
  act as waiter, act as waitress, wait, distribute food, distribute refreshments
2. 2.2 (of food or drink) be enough for.
  （食物，饮料）足够；够
  the recipe serves four people
  这一菜谱为四人量。
  Example sentencesExamples
  This recipe makes enough to serve four as a main course, more as a side dish.
  Thai food is significantly less meat-intensive than American, and half a pound of meat is enough to serve four.
3. 2.3British Attend to (a customer in a store)
  接待（顾客）
  she turned to serve the impatient customer
  她转身去接待那个不耐烦的顾客。
  Example sentencesExamples
  Called Serenade, the Victoria Road shop was serving its first customers today.
  Also I think it is so rude to be in a shop and being served whilst having a chat on the phone.
  Sofi finished serving her customer and asked one of her shop assistant to take over.
  Mary didn't say anything more, she finally forced the smile her face had been promising and then went back to serving the other customers.
  The shop served its last customers on Friday after being based on Newmarket Street for more than 17 years.
  She took it without hesitation and wandered off to serve the other customers.
  It was the husband of the woman who had served Freya in the shop.
  The story begins with Bruno the Bear, the proud owner of a sweet shop, serving Olga, the Russian owner of an animal circus.
  Among Mike's duties yesterday were serving customers, tidying up and putting security tags on items of clothing.
  Shop managers cannot do anything because they are serving a queue of customers.
  Mark, Andrew and Esther were in the shop front, serving customers.
  Synonyms
  attend to, give one's attention to, attend to the requirements of, deal with, see to
4. 2.4 Supply (goods) to a customer.
  提供（商品）给顾客
5. 2.5Christian Church no object Act as a server at the celebration of the Eucharist.
  〔基督教〕在弥撒中担任助祭
6. 2.6archaic with two objects Play (a trick) on (someone)
  〈古〉对…耍（花招）；开（某人）（玩笑）
  I remember the trick you served me
  我记得你对我开的玩笑。
3Law
Deliver (a document such as a summons or writ) in a formal manner to the person to whom it is addressed.
〔律〕送达（传票、令状等）
a warrant was served on Jack Sherman
Example sentencesExamples
- The prisoner had already served notice of application to appeal to the final court.
- Enforcement notices are only served as a last resort, when all efforts to negotiate have failed.
- Writs were served on 30 councillors, who were jailed for their pains in September 1921.
- He said the minister would be seeking quashing of the arrest warrant against him on the ground that no summons were served on him.
- Empanelling a grand jury empowers prosecutors both to serve subpoenas, and to gather testimony under oath.
1. 3.1 Deliver a document to (someone) in a formal manner.
  向…送达文书
  they were just about to serve him with a writ
  他们正准备给他送达一张令状。
  Example sentencesExamples
  While defendant was in custody awaiting an extradition hearing he was served with the Complaint herein.
  We understand you were served with documents from the defense.
  He was then served with an appropriate prosecution statement and ordered to respond by 7th September.
  As a consequence, the police were unable to locate him to serve him with a subpoena.
  When the breath tests were completed, he was served with the appropriate documentation and released on a promise to appear.
  Synonyms
  deliver to, present with, give to, hand over to, cause to accept
4Be of use in achieving or satisfying.
实现；满足
this book will serve a useful purpose
这本书将会派上用途。
the union came into existence to serve the interests of musicians
协会的成立是为了满足音乐家的利益。
Example sentencesExamples
- The very existence of law on the statute books serves the purpose.
- Any such individual action would be irresponsible and unwarranted and would serve no useful purpose.
- It serves no other useful purpose than to inspire and feed the soul.
- Laser shots and explosions are fairly generic but serve the purpose well.
- It does serve his political strategy to stay away from the facts.
- It points to a post-medical age, where doctors serve desires rather than treat disease.
- Indeed, they may tend to serve this function even better than traditional media.
- The proposed lake, which has caused some concern locally in case it affects underground water supplies, will serve three purposes.
- Also, officers have the added functions of setting goals and inspiring others to achieve them to serve this purpose.
- Dropping down into the second team would serve no useful purpose.
- They do not satisfy hunger and serve no purpose other than to make the companies that make them wealthy.
- What useful purpose is served by stigmatizing work that someone is going to have to do anyway?
- I don't think he serves any useful purpose for the Democrats.
- A price war, he warns his prospective rivals, will serve neither party's interests.
- Even if debunked, the book serves a valuable purpose by encouraging new ways of thinking about intelligence and efforts to build intelligent computers.
- His selective memory serves no interest but his own agenda.
- The goal was the worthy one of racial integration, but it was served by treating children differently based on their race.
- I am not convinced that any especially useful purpose would be served by that.
- Organizational culture establishes norms and expectations of how people should be treated and serve the needs of the organization.
- In essence, the board of directors tries to make sure that shareholders' interests are well served.
Synonyms
suffice, be adequate, be good enough, be all right, fill the bill, fit the bill, do, answer
1. 4.1no object Be of some specified use.
  有用，起作用
  with infinitive sweat serves to cool down the body
  出汗起到给身体降温的作用。
  the island's one pub serves as a cafe by day
  Example sentencesExamples
  A sheet of red outdoor fabric serves as the roof.
  The above examples serve to underline how limited our philosophy of health has become.
  The president serves as the soul of a university, with his/her personality, morality and educational ideas usually having a profound influence on the university culture.
  Though certainly these later developments served to reinforce and spread the use of such techniques.
  Elastomer and fabric device serves as both a seal and a filter.
  A salvaged piece of marble serves as the countertop.
  The whole episode has already served to highlight a number of important economic issues.
  But the case serves as a warning that the industry will have to find a new way of distributing music which appeals to these kids, and the growing number of people who are searching for their entertainment online.
  The exercise not only serves as warning, punishment, or purge but also advertises to his subjects, his enemies, and his potential rivals that he is strong.
  History will serve only to remind us that man's reach always exceeds his grasp.
  A weblog serves as a perfect tool for disseminating this type of information.
  The photographic imprint serves as a substitute.
  Having students present the same material during lab served to reinforce their knowledge.
  However, it just so happens that a human being standing on the ground near the object serves as a perfectly good conductor as well.
  This kind of reasoning is, of course, nonsense, but it serves as an illustration of the danger in concocting fanciful theories based on historical precedents.
  First and primarily, military advice serves to set a baseline for the analysis of any proposed intervention.
  That's why an old photograph taped to the refrigerator door serves as a daily reminder of the girl she once was.
  It's almost like a superhero film, with magic tricks serving as Danny's powers, helping him solve any sticky situation.
  Armstrong serves as an inspiration to many and is clearly one of the most significant contributors to black culture of the 20th, and perhaps any, century.
  All of this served to underline the dangers, as much as the benefits, of nationalism.
  Synonyms
  act as, function as, fulfil the function of, do duty as, do the work of, act as a substitute for
2. 4.2 Function for or treat (someone) in a specified way.
  对待
  the strategy served him well
  Example sentencesExamples
  I certainly anticipate that the hummingbird will serve them well for many years to come.
  Facts that did not serve him were treated like unruly underlings.
  A second bird dislocated a shoulder and his wing would never be strong enough to serve him in the wild.
  A strategy that has served me well is to pack lightweight, situation-specific bags and boxes.
  On three occasions, this strategy has served him well, but his dog funds show the downside of this approach.
  Which are you - do you take the plunge, or do you play it safe, and does your strategy serve you well?
  They've been busy painting, drawing comics and playing in side projects, and the breather has served them well.
  He maintained the risk-free strategy that has served him so well in recent rallies.
  He identifies the televevangelist model of religious dissemination as one aspect in a wider media strategy that serves the power holders and encourages passivity in people.
  The strategy of deterrence which served us so well during the decades of the Cold War will no longer do.
  A positive attitude toward others is a strategy that serves you throughout any interaction.
  It has served Private Eye fairly well over the years.
  For millions of years, while big sharks had few natural predators, this survival strategy served them well.
  I can't deny that this strategy has served me well in the short term.
  Synonyms
  treat, deal with, act towards, behave towards, conduct oneself towards, handle
3. 4.3 (of a male breeding-animal) copulate with (a female).
  （雄性种畜）与（雌性）交配
5no object (in tennis and other racket sports) hit the ball or shuttlecock to begin play.
（网球等用拍的运动）发球
he tossed the ball up to serve
他把球抛起发球。
with object serve the ball onto the front wall
朝着前面的墙发球。
Example sentencesExamples
- He got the message, gave Gracie and me a salute, and ran back to his game, serving the ball and acing it.
- Taking a deep breath, I took my stance, and served that fuzzy yellow ball with all my might.
- The players exchange words at the beginning of the game as Scott accuses his opponent of failing to tell him he was serving with new balls in the previous game.
- Everyone fell silent though when the prince raised his racket and ball to serve.
- Before serving in the final game, Pierce had a trainer apply treatment and massage her aching shoulder.
6Nautical
Bind (a rope) with thin cord to protect or strengthen it.
〔航海〕卷缠（绳索）
7Military
Operate (a gun)
〔军〕操作（枪炮）
before long Lodge was the only man in his section able to serve the guns
很快洛奇就成了小队里唯一能操作枪炮的人了。
Example sentencesExamples
- It was even said that she carried hot coffee to all the officers and then carried more hot coffee in pails to the artilleryman serving the guns.

nounsərvsərv

(in tennis and other racket sports) an act or turn of hitting the ball or shuttlecock to start play.
（网球等用拍的运动）发球
he was let down by an erratic serve
一个怪异的发球使他失误了。
Example sentencesExamples
- Rafter chipped and charged on Agassi's second serves.
- In fact, he conceded only 12 points on his serve in nine service games.
- With the big serves in today's tennis, I'm not sure this match will ever be equalled.
- He could hardly get a serve into court, seemed too tall and cumbersome to move well or bend, and looked thoroughly outclassed.
- In pro tennis serves can sometimes reach speeds over 209 kph, or 185 feet per second.

Phrases

if my memory serves me

If I remember correctly.
如果我没记错的话
Example sentencesExamples
- And if my memory serves me correctly the girls who work there are little angels.
- It was passed by State Parliament and if my memory serves me correctly the coalition opposition supported the bill.
- I think you were allowed seven minutes if my memory serves me correctly.
- At 62 she rarely betrayed her age and, if my memory serves me correctly, she performed a number of encores to thank the very enthusiastic audience.
- Recently I recall a player going to the courts to seek justice for a severe injury (a broken jaw if my memory serves me correctly) he received in a Gaelic football match.

serve at table

Act as a waiter.
当侍者
Example sentencesExamples
- One day while serving at table he was reprimanded for not paying attention to his duties.
- Apart from serving at table he listened sympathetically to their life-stories, encouraged them and praised their endeavours.
- He was not a factor but ‘was employed as a footman in livery and served at table and occasionally dressed and took care of his Masters Horses.’
- They were served at table by a disciplined army of girls.
- French waiters are highly trained in the art of serving at table, but sometimes customers would happily settle for less expertise - if only there were more of them so that they didn't have to wait so long to be served.

serve someone right

Be someone's deserved punishment or misfortune.
罪有应得；活该
it would serve you right if Jeff walked out on you
如果杰夫离你而去的话，那你活该。
Example sentencesExamples
- Their scheming, however, will backfire when they find themselves sidelined and excluded from any future debates on major world affairs and might I say - it serves them right!
- I had a head under the covers morning, following on and serving me right for my festive over-indulgence at dinner last night.
- Ah well… serves me right for trying to have a social life, right?
- He was correct as usual, and it basically served me right.
- It would serve them right if they were shut down as a result of the same disregard for public opinion and democracy.
- If you're dumb enough to walk into a sign it serves you right, you do not deserve money.
- I mean, it serves them right for including such a confusing item on their checklist, right?
- Yes I know it would serve us right for our wastefulness and greed and selfishness and indifference to the lives of millions of people on this planet who have never enjoyed what we take for granted.
- It serves them right for charging a ridiculous amount to park and for not ensuring the safety of our cars.
- Instead, he told me it served me right for looking to a place like that for self-affirmation.

serve one's time

1Hold office for the normal period.
任期内任职
Example sentencesExamples
- He was appointed to the post of county manager after serving his time as county engineer in Donegal.
- If he is not in death row and he's serving out his time in a maximum-security prison, he will be afforded special treatment, if you will.
- These individuals, after they serve their time in the states, will be deported, and one of our goals is to make sure that when they're deported, they don't come back.
- If he really served his time in the National Guard during the Vietnam War, he could easily prove it.
- There are new questions about the military's policy for calling up troops who have already served their time.
1. 1.1Spend time in office, in an apprenticeship, or in prison.
  任职；做学徒；服刑
  Example sentencesExamples
  They finally tracked him down to an English prison where he was serving time for a similar crime but under a false name.
  You will never see me on the front lines - I am in complete moral opposition to war, and would rather serve time in prison than spend time with a rifle.
  They were sentenced to 15 months, but given a suspended sentence, which means they didn't have to serve time in prison.
  Most of the former soldiers have already served time in Soviet prisons for war crimes.
  He says he robbed banks and served time in prison.

serve two masters

Take orders from two superiors or follow two conflicting or opposing principles or policies at the same time.
侍二主；同时遵循两种相悖的原则（或政策）
Example sentencesExamples
- Instead, they create this shared management - and no man can serve two masters happily - across all of New Zealand potentially.
- That means he must serve two masters - company shareholders and fund investors - whose interests may not always be in sync.
- You have to serve two masters: the president of the United States, and you also try to help the Washington press corps do its job.
- She added that psychiatrists can end up serving two masters when they get into the position of being an administrator rather than a clinician, and a choice has to be made.
- But that's exactly what's happening because of a gargantuan conflict of interest: The giant mutual funds are serving two masters.
- If other parties do not want to be stained by the suggestion that they serve two masters, I suggest that they should move amendments to exempt themselves.
- A man cannot serve two masters - eventually, you will be forced to choose.
- And it was not working, this attempt to serve two masters.
- This arrogant contempt for our local town and parish councils by Bradford shows that you cannot serve two masters.
- It is law layered with politics, which, as a lawyer, I can tell you is the worst kind of fact situation you can find, because you end up serving two masters and it's almost an impossible situation.

Phrasal Verbs

serve out

Win the final game of a set or match while serving.
〔网球〕发球赢得最后的比赛
Fitzgerald then served out for the set
费茨杰拉德本局最后一场凭发球取胜。

Origin

Middle English: from Old French servir, from Latin servire, from servus ‘slave’.

词汇	serve
释义	Definition of serve in English: serve verbsəːvsərv [with object] 1Perform duties or services for (another person or an organization) 为（人，机构）服务 Malcolm has served the church very faithfully 马尔科姆非常忠诚地为教会服务。 Example sentencesExamples It's bad enough that they spend their lives serving us, but now, they have to die at our bidding, too? Further, he was a career professional, dedicated to serving Johnson. The girl grew up to be a well-behaved young lady, and when she was old enough, she served her father with all her heart and soul. He served these organizations for some 23 years till his retirement in March 1996. He has served with distinction for some years as the head of the Federal Reserve. And even though I was young I had already pledged my life to serving that woman, my duty was complete obedience to her. For now, she continues with her ministerial duties, serving the church she sees as part of her family. Ever since then he has served the group in various capacities. And he even once served on the board of the New York Stock Exchange. You are out there supporting and serving your professional organization. Recently a priest who had served for years as an official in the chancery office was ordained an auxiliary bishop. Advisory Editors currently serving on the board are listed on the masthead. The tale takes place 500 years ago and begins in the house of a Novgorod merchant, where horseman Antti and his wife Anne are serving their master. He had previously served the club as a goalkeeper and then centre forward for ten years. I will continue to serve this organization with all my energy, wisdom, and passion as I have done in the past. I once served on a social committee and it was always hard organising things to make people happy. Synonyms work for, be in the service of, perform duties for, be employed by, have a job with obey, be obedient to, carry out the wishes of be of service to, be of use to, help, give help to, assist, give assistance to, aid, lend a hand to, give a helping hand to, do a good turn to, make a contribution to, do one's bit for, do something for, benefit minister to, succour be a member of, work on, be on, sit on, have/hold a place on, perform duties on, carry out duties on 1.1 Provide (an area or group of people) with a product or service. 为（一地区，一群人）提供产品（或服务） a hospital which serves a large area of Wales 为威尔士一大块地区提供服务的医院。 Example sentencesExamples Its retail sector serves an area that extends for miles on either side of the Strait. The area is currently served by 28 branches which, according to company bosses, is too many to survive. Would it be better to have a team of priests in a central house serving a group of parishes? If you value the land-grant tradition, and we do, we know we need to serve that group of consumers. We wanted something that would serve every age group. Are there agencies in the community that also serve complementary groups? Besides Hong Kong and Shenzhen, the area is served by airports in Macao and Zhuhai. They have provided and maintained a fleet of 160 ambulances that serve remote areas of the Chernobyl region. The firm, which has a network of branches in the area served by the hospice, is paying for a crucial element of the appeal. The Barbican is the only pool on the south side of York that is within walking distance of the city centre and Yearsley serves a wide area. The area is served by 28 branches which, according to the company, is too many chasing too few customers. They compared the locations with the current spread of population and realised that some areas were not served as well as they should be. The basic initial idea is to have small buses, serving local areas providing daytime services to those most needing them. Different laboratory test menus may be needed in different locales to properly serve the ethnic groups in the community. Paddy employees over 30 people from the local area and with their expertise, they serve sites all over Ireland. These managers are starting to look at how much it will cost to serve a group of farmers. This scheme serves an area which stretches to a radius of 10 miles outside Claremorris. As a market hall serving a bustling group of traders and agricultural merchants, it must have been perfect for the job. He said the system had functioned well in the past and did not serve any specific group. The chosen route linked central London to Docklands by heading south of the Thames into areas previously poorly served by underground services. Synonyms provide for, oblige, meet the needs of, meet the wants of, accommodate, entertain, receive 1.2no object Be employed as a member of the armed forces. 服兵役 he had hoped to serve with the Medical Corps 他曾希望跟着医疗队服役。 Example sentencesExamples Some 15,904 African-American officers are now serving in the military. He left the Army in 1945 with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, having served with the Infantry, Engineers and Gunners. But each time, your employer supported you and made it easy for you to serve in the Army Reserve. You would be proud of the Soldiers serving in the Army. He passed this pride on to his children who he encouraged to serve in the Armed Forces. Gay men and lesbian women have served honorably in the military since our founding. She's also serving with the Army Reserve's 444th Quartermaster Company in Sioux City. Members of the military who are serving outside the USA or Puerto Rico, but who aren't in a combat zone, have until June 15 to file their taxes. A young New Zealand soldier serving overseas writes to his family. They served in the armies of France and Spain as well as of Britain. While men remain the majority in the military, women too are serving with distinction. He has previous military experience, having served with the French Foreign Legion. I'm a former enlisted sailor serving with the U.S. Army. For these reasons, youth are less and less inclined to serve in the military. He served in the army for two years before joining his father in practice. During his career he served mostly with Army Special Forces, known as the Green Berets. He served with distinction in the Mexican war and was promoted captain in 1856. There is a widening difference in values and perspectives between Americans serving in our armed forces, including the Army, and the society they serve. Both men served honorably in the armed forces during World War II. They should be standard issue for all of our troops serving overseas. 1.3 Spend (a period) in office, in an apprenticeship, or in prison. 任职；做学徒；服刑 he is serving a ten-year jail sentence 他正处于十年监禁的服刑期间。 Example sentencesExamples He is currently serving a prison sentence for his role in the embassy bombings. Some of those sentenced to home detention would have been serving short periods of imprisonment for less serious offences. These resisters are arrested, tried, and often sentenced to serve long terms in prison and jail. They spoke openly about their prognosis when they realised they would have to serve eight months in prison. He served two terms in prison last year, for dangerous driving and then for breaking a curfew order. By then he was serving another prison term for snatching a bag from another woman. He served a year in prison - including eight months in solitary confinement. He will serve three years in prison, with a further five under strict supervision to ensure he does not re-offend following his release. He was told he must serve three-and-a-half years in prison before his case is considered for parole. If he is recalled to prison he will inevitably serve a greater period in custody than the original tariff. She was appealing against the sentence after magistrates ordered her to serve one day in prison for the theft and then complete the rest of her sentence for robbery. He is still liable to serve ten years in prison for traces of heroin in a needle found at his house. And after serving a prison term for committing a financial crime, he convinced the prison librarian to move with him to his hometown. However, I felt that serving a prison term was better than living with him and the abuse. He retired from the Army in 1977 after serving 20 years on active duty. He has had a number of brushes with the law over the years and has also served custodial sentences. ‘All the funds are available and now it is up to her to volunteer them, or serve another year in prison,’ he said. She has, however, continued to hold the powerful office and is now serving a second term that will run till December 2005. He was sentenced to five years and six months jail, and he served three years and nine months. He is now out of prison, having served three years. Synonyms carry out, perform, do, fulfil, complete, discharge spend, go through 2Present (food or drink) to someone. 供应，上（食物，饮料） they serve wine instead of beer 他们供应葡萄酒而不是啤酒。 serve white wines chilled 上冰镇白葡萄酒。 Example sentencesExamples There's a four-course meal served by waiters. Wherever possible, ask that hot food is served piping hot and ensure that cold food has been kept cool. Meanwhile, back in the wine bar, the barman returned and served our drinks. It was mayhem, fuelled by bar staff and a pub industry all too willing to serve drink after drink after drink. The meeting finished with a social half hour and some tasty refreshments served by hostesses for the evening. The meals are typically served with salads, rice and other side orders. I like to serve this dessert in individual glasses - wine glasses or tumblers are equally good. We'd stopped, when the waitress came to serve our pizza and drinks. The third supervises the tavern and the food and drink being served by her husbands. There are countless jobs and professions that are far more dangerous than serving food or drink in the presence of secondhand smoke. The working committee thank all who came and those who prepared the food and served the tea. Refreshments were served and to mark the occasion certificates were presented to all the children who took part. They went to the kitchens, and found the kitchen workers ready to serve cookies and drinks on the spot. Once they had settled, and he had served the food and drink, Lauren stood up. Refreshments were served afterwards which included various types of drinks and edibles. Isabelle received a cup of wine from a man serving drinks. Refreshments were served afterwards by the female staff. The meal was served with a large side salad and baked potatoes with sour cream. There were plenty of mushrooms and the dish was also served with potatoes, broccoli and carrots. That evening they served food and drinks to the guest of Master Shay. Synonyms dish up/out, give out, distribute, set out, plate up, spoon out, ladle out present, provide, supply, make available 2.1 Present (someone) with food or drink. 为（人）上食物（或饮料） the cafe refused to serve him with the tea 咖啡馆拒绝卖茶给他。 with two objects Peter served them generous portions of soup 彼得给他们端上了分量很足的汤。 Example sentencesExamples His eyes were following Michelle was she moved around the café taking orders and serving people their food. While most people find themselves doing fabulous things on Friday nights, I find myself either serving people food or buying it for myself. I've also noticed, no matter how hard I try, I can't smile at fast food staff when they serve me. The guy waited till he had served me the drinks, told me it was fine to run up a tab, took my credit card, and then told me that the kitchen wasn't opening for another forty minutes. I find it very comforting to know that the owners feed their children the same food that they serve me. A group of women were surrounding him, serving him food and drinks. There used to be a young man there who would greet me with a welcoming smile and serve me the food efficiently. As the barman finished serving the group he acknowledged me. And after serving him his food, he made me sit down and talk with him about all these philosophical ideas: love, life, and the works. She not only insulted me when I served her a drink, but she scared me halfway out of my mind. It is also customary to serve people food and drink when they visit a home. The distributor told us to eat all our meals at the hotel restaurant because they could serve us Western-style food. There were two dives that day but first we were served up a great lunch, and I have to say it was some of the best food I have had in a long time. I was served a very generous portion and it was delicious. Michael had served me a drink, but I had just let it sat on a nearby table. After about ten minutes he was served the wrong drinks. We were the first guests of the afternoon and after a long wait they served us our food. We ordered coffee after a long journey to be told if we weren't lunching they wouldn't serve us drinks. You don't have to eye up drinks I serve you suspiciously. The slave was being taken from fire to fire to serve the men their food. Synonyms act as waiter/waitress, wait, distribute food/refreshments North American informal sling hash, sling plates 2.2 (of food or drink) be enough for. （食物，饮料）足够；够 the recipe serves four people 这一菜谱为四人量。 Example sentencesExamples Thai food is significantly less meat-intensive than American, and half a pound of meat is enough to serve four. This recipe makes enough to serve four as a main course, more as a side dish. 2.3British Attend to (a customer in a shop) 接待（顾客） she turned to serve the impatient customer 她转身去接待那个不耐烦的顾客。 Example sentencesExamples The shop served its last customers on Friday after being based on Newmarket Street for more than 17 years. Mark, Andrew and Esther were in the shop front, serving customers. Among Mike's duties yesterday were serving customers, tidying up and putting security tags on items of clothing. Shop managers cannot do anything because they are serving a queue of customers. Sofi finished serving her customer and asked one of her shop assistant to take over. She took it without hesitation and wandered off to serve the other customers. Mary didn't say anything more, she finally forced the smile her face had been promising and then went back to serving the other customers. Called Serenade, the Victoria Road shop was serving its first customers today. Also I think it is so rude to be in a shop and being served whilst having a chat on the phone. It was the husband of the woman who had served Freya in the shop. The story begins with Bruno the Bear, the proud owner of a sweet shop, serving Olga, the Russian owner of an animal circus. Synonyms attend to, give one's attention to, attend to the requirements of, deal with, see to assist, help, look after, take care of 2.4 Supply (goods) to a customer. 提供（商品）给顾客 2.5Christian Church no object Act as a server at the celebration of the Eucharist. 〔基督教〕在弥撒中担任助祭 2.6archaic with two objects Play (a trick) on (someone) 〈古〉对…耍（花招）；开（某人）（玩笑） I remember the trick you served me 我记得你对我开的玩笑。 3Law Deliver (a document such as a summons or writ) in a formal manner to the person to whom it is addressed. 〔律〕送达（传票、令状等） the court then issues the summons and serves it on your debtor 法庭然后签署传票送达你的债务人。 Example sentencesExamples The prisoner had already served notice of application to appeal to the final court. Enforcement notices are only served as a last resort, when all efforts to negotiate have failed. Writs were served on 30 councillors, who were jailed for their pains in September 1921. Empanelling a grand jury empowers prosecutors both to serve subpoenas, and to gather testimony under oath. He said the minister would be seeking quashing of the arrest warrant against him on the ground that no summons were served on him. 3.1 Deliver a document to (the addressee) in a formal manner. 向…送达文书 they were just about to serve him with a writ 他们正准备给他送达一张令状。 Example sentencesExamples He was then served with an appropriate prosecution statement and ordered to respond by 7th September. We understand you were served with documents from the defense. While defendant was in custody awaiting an extradition hearing he was served with the Complaint herein. As a consequence, the police were unable to locate him to serve him with a subpoena. When the breath tests were completed, he was served with the appropriate documentation and released on a promise to appear. Synonyms deliver to, present with, give to, hand over to, cause to accept 4Be of use in achieving or satisfying. 实现；满足 this book will serve a useful purpose 这本书将会派上用途。 the union came into existence to serve the interests of musicians 协会的成立是为了满足音乐家的利益。 Example sentencesExamples His selective memory serves no interest but his own agenda. Any such individual action would be irresponsible and unwarranted and would serve no useful purpose. The goal was the worthy one of racial integration, but it was served by treating children differently based on their race. It does serve his political strategy to stay away from the facts. They do not satisfy hunger and serve no purpose other than to make the companies that make them wealthy. Organizational culture establishes norms and expectations of how people should be treated and serve the needs of the organization. Even if debunked, the book serves a valuable purpose by encouraging new ways of thinking about intelligence and efforts to build intelligent computers. It points to a post-medical age, where doctors serve desires rather than treat disease. What useful purpose is served by stigmatizing work that someone is going to have to do anyway? I am not convinced that any especially useful purpose would be served by that. A price war, he warns his prospective rivals, will serve neither party's interests. The very existence of law on the statute books serves the purpose. The proposed lake, which has caused some concern locally in case it affects underground water supplies, will serve three purposes. Laser shots and explosions are fairly generic but serve the purpose well. In essence, the board of directors tries to make sure that shareholders' interests are well served. Dropping down into the second team would serve no useful purpose. I don't think he serves any useful purpose for the Democrats. Also, officers have the added functions of setting goals and inspiring others to achieve them to serve this purpose. Indeed, they may tend to serve this function even better than traditional media. It serves no other useful purpose than to inspire and feed the soul. Synonyms suffice, be adequate, be good enough, be all right, fit/fill the bill, do, answer be useful, serve a purpose, meet requirements, suit 4.1no object Be of some specified use. 有用，起作用 the square now serves as the town's chief car park 广场现在用作该镇的主要停车场。 with infinitive sweat serves to cool down the body 出汗起到给身体降温的作用。 Example sentencesExamples A weblog serves as a perfect tool for disseminating this type of information. The president serves as the soul of a university, with his/her personality, morality and educational ideas usually having a profound influence on the university culture. Armstrong serves as an inspiration to many and is clearly one of the most significant contributors to black culture of the 20th, and perhaps any, century. Though certainly these later developments served to reinforce and spread the use of such techniques. This kind of reasoning is, of course, nonsense, but it serves as an illustration of the danger in concocting fanciful theories based on historical precedents. A salvaged piece of marble serves as the countertop. First and primarily, military advice serves to set a baseline for the analysis of any proposed intervention. The exercise not only serves as warning, punishment, or purge but also advertises to his subjects, his enemies, and his potential rivals that he is strong. But the case serves as a warning that the industry will have to find a new way of distributing music which appeals to these kids, and the growing number of people who are searching for their entertainment online. However, it just so happens that a human being standing on the ground near the object serves as a perfectly good conductor as well. The above examples serve to underline how limited our philosophy of health has become. It's almost like a superhero film, with magic tricks serving as Danny's powers, helping him solve any sticky situation. That's why an old photograph taped to the refrigerator door serves as a daily reminder of the girl she once was. Elastomer and fabric device serves as both a seal and a filter. The photographic imprint serves as a substitute. A sheet of red outdoor fabric serves as the roof. The whole episode has already served to highlight a number of important economic issues. History will serve only to remind us that man's reach always exceeds his grasp. Having students present the same material during lab served to reinforce their knowledge. All of this served to underline the dangers, as much as the benefits, of nationalism. Synonyms act as, function as, fulfil the function of, do duty as, do the work of, act as a substitute for 4.2with object and adverbial Treat (someone) in a specified way. 对待 Cornish homeowners wonder if they are being fairly served 康沃尔郡的房主们想知道他们是否正受到公平对待。 Example sentencesExamples A positive attitude toward others is a strategy that serves you throughout any interaction. He identifies the televevangelist model of religious dissemination as one aspect in a wider media strategy that serves the power holders and encourages passivity in people. I can't deny that this strategy has served me well in the short term. A strategy that has served me well is to pack lightweight, situation-specific bags and boxes. Which are you - do you take the plunge, or do you play it safe, and does your strategy serve you well? It has served Private Eye fairly well over the years. They've been busy painting, drawing comics and playing in side projects, and the breather has served them well. He maintained the risk-free strategy that has served him so well in recent rallies. For millions of years, while big sharks had few natural predators, this survival strategy served them well. A second bird dislocated a shoulder and his wing would never be strong enough to serve him in the wild. On three occasions, this strategy has served him well, but his dog funds show the downside of this approach. I certainly anticipate that the hummingbird will serve them well for many years to come. The strategy of deterrence which served us so well during the decades of the Cold War will no longer do. Facts that did not serve him were treated like unruly underlings. Synonyms treat, deal with, act towards, behave towards, conduct oneself towards, handle 4.3 (of a male breeding animal) copulate with (a female). （雄性种畜）与（雌性）交配 5no object (in tennis and other racket sports) hit the ball or shuttlecock to begin play for each point of a game. （网球等用拍的运动）发球 he tossed the ball up to serve 他把球抛起发球。 with object serve the ball on to the front wall 朝着前面的墙发球。 Example sentencesExamples He got the message, gave Gracie and me a salute, and ran back to his game, serving the ball and acing it. Before serving in the final game, Pierce had a trainer apply treatment and massage her aching shoulder. The players exchange words at the beginning of the game as Scott accuses his opponent of failing to tell him he was serving with new balls in the previous game. Taking a deep breath, I took my stance, and served that fuzzy yellow ball with all my might. Everyone fell silent though when the prince raised his racket and ball to serve. 5.1serve out Win the final game of a set or match while serving. 〔网球〕发球赢得最后的比赛 Fitzgerald then served out for the set 费茨杰拉德本局最后一场凭发球取胜。 Example sentencesExamples Safin made the crucial break at 4-4 in the final set, and served out the next game to clinch the match. He won only one more game in that set to allow the American to take the set 6-3 and then dropped serve in the ninth game of the third set to enable Fish to serve out the match. He served out the final game at love, hitting a 119 mph second serve for a winner on match point. A second double-fault allowed Kiefer to break again to lead 5-2 but he failed to serve out the match, putting a forehand wide down the line on break point. Davenport slammed three winners to serve out the final game for the win. 6Nautical Bind (a rope) with thin cord to protect or strengthen it. 〔航海〕卷缠（绳索） 7Military Operate (a gun) 〔军〕操作（枪炮） before long Lodge was the only man in his section able to serve the guns 很快洛奇就成了小队里唯一能操作枪炮的人了。 Example sentencesExamples It was even said that she carried hot coffee to all the officers and then carried more hot coffee in pails to the artilleryman serving the guns. nounsəːvsərv 1(in tennis and other racket sports) an act of hitting the ball or shuttlecock to start play. （网球等用拍的运动）发球 he was let down by an erratic serve 一个怪异的发球使他失误了。 Example sentencesExamples In fact, he conceded only 12 points on his serve in nine service games. With the big serves in today's tennis, I'm not sure this match will ever be equalled. Rafter chipped and charged on Agassi's second serves. In pro tennis serves can sometimes reach speeds over 209 kph, or 185 feet per second. He could hardly get a serve into court, seemed too tall and cumbersome to move well or bend, and looked thoroughly outclassed. 2Australian informal A reprimand. 〈澳，非正式〉申斥 he would be willing to give the country a serve in an English newspaper 他会愿意在一家英国报纸上给该国一顿申斥。 Example sentencesExamples The opposition parties pressed their advantages home and gave Labour a strong serve in Parliament. Be grateful that you only got a bit of a serve from your boss rather than no pay at the end of the week. But that doesn't mean that company X isn't going to get a serve on customer service, or the lack of. In March this year she gave him a serve in her media column. He suddenly turned holier-than-thou to give them a serve. Synonyms reprimand, rebuke, reproof, remonstrance, reproach, admonishment, stricture, lecture, criticism, recrimination, tirade, diatribe, philippic, harangue, attack Phrases if my memory serves (me) If I remember correctly. 如果我没记错的话 if my memory serves me, this is not the first time Example sentencesExamples Recently I recall a player going to the courts to seek justice for a severe injury (a broken jaw if my memory serves me correctly) he received in a Gaelic football match. At 62 she rarely betrayed her age and, if my memory serves me correctly, she performed a number of encores to thank the very enthusiastic audience. It was passed by State Parliament and if my memory serves me correctly the coalition opposition supported the bill. I think you were allowed seven minutes if my memory serves me correctly. And if my memory serves me correctly the girls who work there are little angels. serve at table Act as a waiter. 当侍者 she was reduced to the landlord's daughter who served at table Example sentencesExamples One day while serving at table he was reprimanded for not paying attention to his duties. Apart from serving at table he listened sympathetically to their life-stories, encouraged them and praised their endeavours. French waiters are highly trained in the art of serving at table, but sometimes customers would happily settle for less expertise - if only there were more of them so that they didn't have to wait so long to be served. They were served at table by a disciplined army of girls. He was not a factor but ‘was employed as a footman in livery and served at table and occasionally dressed and took care of his Masters Horses.’ serve someone right Be someone's deserved punishment or misfortune. 罪有应得；活该 it would serve you right if Jeff walked out on you 如果杰夫离你而去的话，那你活该。 Example sentencesExamples Their scheming, however, will backfire when they find themselves sidelined and excluded from any future debates on major world affairs and might I say - it serves them right! I mean, it serves them right for including such a confusing item on their checklist, right? Ah well… serves me right for trying to have a social life, right? Instead, he told me it served me right for looking to a place like that for self-affirmation. If you're dumb enough to walk into a sign it serves you right, you do not deserve money. It serves them right for charging a ridiculous amount to park and for not ensuring the safety of our cars. It would serve them right if they were shut down as a result of the same disregard for public opinion and democracy. Yes I know it would serve us right for our wastefulness and greed and selfishness and indifference to the lives of millions of people on this planet who have never enjoyed what we take for granted. He was correct as usual, and it basically served me right. I had a head under the covers morning, following on and serving me right for my festive over-indulgence at dinner last night. serve one's time 1Hold office for the normal period. 任期内任职 every sergeant had served his time as a constable Example sentencesExamples These individuals, after they serve their time in the states, will be deported, and one of our goals is to make sure that when they're deported, they don't come back. If he is not in death row and he's serving out his time in a maximum-security prison, he will be afforded special treatment, if you will. He was appointed to the post of county manager after serving his time as county engineer in Donegal. There are new questions about the military's policy for calling up troops who have already served their time. If he really served his time in the National Guard during the Vietnam War, he could easily prove it. 1.1Spend time in office, in an apprenticeship, or in prison. 任职；做学徒；服刑 he is serving time in Swansea Prison Example sentencesExamples Most of the former soldiers have already served time in Soviet prisons for war crimes. He says he robbed banks and served time in prison. You will never see me on the front lines - I am in complete moral opposition to war, and would rather serve time in prison than spend time with a rifle. They were sentenced to 15 months, but given a suspended sentence, which means they didn't have to serve time in prison. They finally tracked him down to an English prison where he was serving time for a similar crime but under a false name. serve one's/its turn Be useful or helpful. now that they have served their turn, cut some of them out suppressing his ire would hardly serve his turn at this juncture Example sentencesExamples The charges against her were preposterous and she denied them with dignity, but she had never been popular and they served their turn. His stupidity served his turn on this occasion better than cunning would have done. ‘Then I'll look up; my fault is past,’ he took a steadying breath, ‘But, O, what form of prayer can serve my turn?’ It also confined him as a novelist to a style and mode of fiction that served its turn, but now seems embedded as a ‘cultural event’, as some like to say, as much as work we read because we like fiction. If I could only get a single good, meaty sentence which seemed to convey some sort of definite human idea, it would serve my turn. If the play makes the public aware that there are such people as phoneticians, and that they are among its most important people in England at present, it will serve its turn. History throws individuals away once they have served their turn. His section is the most aristocratic of the parties at present, and I doubt if it would serve my turn to follow his example. serve two masters Take orders from two superiors or follow two conflicting or opposing principles or policies at the same time. 侍二主；同时遵循两种相悖的原则（或政策） it is never easy to serve two masters Example sentencesExamples But that's exactly what's happening because of a gargantuan conflict of interest: The giant mutual funds are serving two masters. And it was not working, this attempt to serve two masters. She added that psychiatrists can end up serving two masters when they get into the position of being an administrator rather than a clinician, and a choice has to be made. It is law layered with politics, which, as a lawyer, I can tell you is the worst kind of fact situation you can find, because you end up serving two masters and it's almost an impossible situation. You have to serve two masters: the president of the United States, and you also try to help the Washington press corps do its job. This arrogant contempt for our local town and parish councils by Bradford shows that you cannot serve two masters. If other parties do not want to be stained by the suggestion that they serve two masters, I suggest that they should move amendments to exempt themselves. Instead, they create this shared management - and no man can serve two masters happily - across all of New Zealand potentially. That means he must serve two masters - company shareholders and fund investors - whose interests may not always be in sync. A man cannot serve two masters - eventually, you will be forced to choose. Origin Middle English: from Old French servir, from Latin servire, from servus 'slave'. Rhymes conserve, curve, Deneuve, derv, hors d'oeuvre, nerve, observe, roman-fleuve, subserve, swerve, verve verb.1 phr. Definition of serve in US English: serve verbsərvsərv [with object] 1Perform duties or services for (another person or an organization) 为（人，机构）服务 Malcolm has served the church very faithfully 马尔科姆非常忠诚地为教会服务。 Example sentencesExamples Further, he was a career professional, dedicated to serving Johnson. He had previously served the club as a goalkeeper and then centre forward for ten years. And even though I was young I had already pledged my life to serving that woman, my duty was complete obedience to her. Recently a priest who had served for years as an official in the chancery office was ordained an auxiliary bishop. I will continue to serve this organization with all my energy, wisdom, and passion as I have done in the past. It's bad enough that they spend their lives serving us, but now, they have to die at our bidding, too? And he even once served on the board of the New York Stock Exchange. The tale takes place 500 years ago and begins in the house of a Novgorod merchant, where horseman Antti and his wife Anne are serving their master. For now, she continues with her ministerial duties, serving the church she sees as part of her family. The girl grew up to be a well-behaved young lady, and when she was old enough, she served her father with all her heart and soul. He has served with distinction for some years as the head of the Federal Reserve. I once served on a social committee and it was always hard organising things to make people happy. He served these organizations for some 23 years till his retirement in March 1996. You are out there supporting and serving your professional organization. Ever since then he has served the group in various capacities. Advisory Editors currently serving on the board are listed on the masthead. Synonyms work for, be in the service of, perform duties for, be employed by, have a job with be of service to, be of use to, help, give help to, assist, give assistance to, aid, lend a hand to, give a helping hand to, do a good turn to, make a contribution to, do one's bit for, do something for, benefit be a member of, work on, be on, sit on, have a place on, hold a place on, perform duties on, carry out duties on 1.1 Provide (an area or group of people) with a product or service. 为（一地区，一群人）提供产品（或服务） a telecommunications company that serves southern New England Example sentencesExamples They compared the locations with the current spread of population and realised that some areas were not served as well as they should be. Would it be better to have a team of priests in a central house serving a group of parishes? Besides Hong Kong and Shenzhen, the area is served by airports in Macao and Zhuhai. Different laboratory test menus may be needed in different locales to properly serve the ethnic groups in the community. If you value the land-grant tradition, and we do, we know we need to serve that group of consumers. Are there agencies in the community that also serve complementary groups? He said the system had functioned well in the past and did not serve any specific group. They have provided and maintained a fleet of 160 ambulances that serve remote areas of the Chernobyl region. The basic initial idea is to have small buses, serving local areas providing daytime services to those most needing them. These managers are starting to look at how much it will cost to serve a group of farmers. This scheme serves an area which stretches to a radius of 10 miles outside Claremorris. As a market hall serving a bustling group of traders and agricultural merchants, it must have been perfect for the job. The area is currently served by 28 branches which, according to company bosses, is too many to survive. The area is served by 28 branches which, according to the company, is too many chasing too few customers. The chosen route linked central London to Docklands by heading south of the Thames into areas previously poorly served by underground services. We wanted something that would serve every age group. Its retail sector serves an area that extends for miles on either side of the Strait. Paddy employees over 30 people from the local area and with their expertise, they serve sites all over Ireland. The firm, which has a network of branches in the area served by the hospice, is paying for a crucial element of the appeal. The Barbican is the only pool on the south side of York that is within walking distance of the city centre and Yearsley serves a wide area. Synonyms provide for, oblige, meet the needs of, meet the wants of, accommodate, entertain, receive 1.2no object Be employed as a member of the armed forces. 服兵役 a military engineer who served with the army Example sentencesExamples You would be proud of the Soldiers serving in the Army. A young New Zealand soldier serving overseas writes to his family. He left the Army in 1945 with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, having served with the Infantry, Engineers and Gunners. They should be standard issue for all of our troops serving overseas. For these reasons, youth are less and less inclined to serve in the military. While men remain the majority in the military, women too are serving with distinction. He has previous military experience, having served with the French Foreign Legion. I'm a former enlisted sailor serving with the U.S. Army. They served in the armies of France and Spain as well as of Britain. He passed this pride on to his children who he encouraged to serve in the Armed Forces. She's also serving with the Army Reserve's 444th Quartermaster Company in Sioux City. Both men served honorably in the armed forces during World War II. But each time, your employer supported you and made it easy for you to serve in the Army Reserve. He served in the army for two years before joining his father in practice. Some 15,904 African-American officers are now serving in the military. There is a widening difference in values and perspectives between Americans serving in our armed forces, including the Army, and the society they serve. During his career he served mostly with Army Special Forces, known as the Green Berets. Gay men and lesbian women have served honorably in the military since our founding. Members of the military who are serving outside the USA or Puerto Rico, but who aren't in a combat zone, have until June 15 to file their taxes. He served with distinction in the Mexican war and was promoted captain in 1856. 1.3 Spend (a period) in office, in an apprenticeship, or in prison. 任职；做学徒；服刑 he is serving a ten-year jail sentence 他正处于十年监禁的服刑期间。 Example sentencesExamples By then he was serving another prison term for snatching a bag from another woman. ‘All the funds are available and now it is up to her to volunteer them, or serve another year in prison,’ he said. He has had a number of brushes with the law over the years and has also served custodial sentences. However, I felt that serving a prison term was better than living with him and the abuse. They spoke openly about their prognosis when they realised they would have to serve eight months in prison. He will serve three years in prison, with a further five under strict supervision to ensure he does not re-offend following his release. He retired from the Army in 1977 after serving 20 years on active duty. She has, however, continued to hold the powerful office and is now serving a second term that will run till December 2005. He was told he must serve three-and-a-half years in prison before his case is considered for parole. He is now out of prison, having served three years. If he is recalled to prison he will inevitably serve a greater period in custody than the original tariff. Some of those sentenced to home detention would have been serving short periods of imprisonment for less serious offences. And after serving a prison term for committing a financial crime, he convinced the prison librarian to move with him to his hometown. She was appealing against the sentence after magistrates ordered her to serve one day in prison for the theft and then complete the rest of her sentence for robbery. He was sentenced to five years and six months jail, and he served three years and nine months. He is still liable to serve ten years in prison for traces of heroin in a needle found at his house. He served a year in prison - including eight months in solitary confinement. These resisters are arrested, tried, and often sentenced to serve long terms in prison and jail. He served two terms in prison last year, for dangerous driving and then for breaking a curfew order. He is currently serving a prison sentence for his role in the embassy bombings. Synonyms carry out, perform, do, fulfil, complete, discharge 2Present (food or drink) to someone. 供应，上（食物，饮料） they serve wine instead of beer 他们供应葡萄酒而不是啤酒。 serve white wines chilled 上冰镇白葡萄酒。 Example sentencesExamples It was mayhem, fuelled by bar staff and a pub industry all too willing to serve drink after drink after drink. I like to serve this dessert in individual glasses - wine glasses or tumblers are equally good. Wherever possible, ask that hot food is served piping hot and ensure that cold food has been kept cool. There were plenty of mushrooms and the dish was also served with potatoes, broccoli and carrots. Refreshments were served afterwards by the female staff. We'd stopped, when the waitress came to serve our pizza and drinks. The meal was served with a large side salad and baked potatoes with sour cream. Meanwhile, back in the wine bar, the barman returned and served our drinks. The meals are typically served with salads, rice and other side orders. That evening they served food and drinks to the guest of Master Shay. Isabelle received a cup of wine from a man serving drinks. Refreshments were served and to mark the occasion certificates were presented to all the children who took part. Refreshments were served afterwards which included various types of drinks and edibles. There are countless jobs and professions that are far more dangerous than serving food or drink in the presence of secondhand smoke. The meeting finished with a social half hour and some tasty refreshments served by hostesses for the evening. There's a four-course meal served by waiters. The working committee thank all who came and those who prepared the food and served the tea. They went to the kitchens, and found the kitchen workers ready to serve cookies and drinks on the spot. The third supervises the tavern and the food and drink being served by her husbands. Once they had settled, and he had served the food and drink, Lauren stood up. Synonyms dish out, dish up, give out, distribute, set out, plate up, spoon out, ladle out 2.1 Present (someone) with food or drink. 为（人）上食物（或饮料） with two objects Peter served them generous portions of soup 彼得给他们端上了分量很足的汤。 I'll serve you with coffee and cake Example sentencesExamples I find it very comforting to know that the owners feed their children the same food that they serve me. The guy waited till he had served me the drinks, told me it was fine to run up a tab, took my credit card, and then told me that the kitchen wasn't opening for another forty minutes. It is also customary to serve people food and drink when they visit a home. I've also noticed, no matter how hard I try, I can't smile at fast food staff when they serve me. A group of women were surrounding him, serving him food and drinks. We were the first guests of the afternoon and after a long wait they served us our food. There were two dives that day but first we were served up a great lunch, and I have to say it was some of the best food I have had in a long time. I was served a very generous portion and it was delicious. His eyes were following Michelle was she moved around the café taking orders and serving people their food. Michael had served me a drink, but I had just let it sat on a nearby table. After about ten minutes he was served the wrong drinks. The slave was being taken from fire to fire to serve the men their food. The distributor told us to eat all our meals at the hotel restaurant because they could serve us Western-style food. She not only insulted me when I served her a drink, but she scared me halfway out of my mind. While most people find themselves doing fabulous things on Friday nights, I find myself either serving people food or buying it for myself. You don't have to eye up drinks I serve you suspiciously. We ordered coffee after a long journey to be told if we weren't lunching they wouldn't serve us drinks. There used to be a young man there who would greet me with a welcoming smile and serve me the food efficiently. And after serving him his food, he made me sit down and talk with him about all these philosophical ideas: love, life, and the works. As the barman finished serving the group he acknowledged me. Synonyms act as waiter, act as waitress, wait, distribute food, distribute refreshments 2.2 (of food or drink) be enough for. （食物，饮料）足够；够 the recipe serves four people 这一菜谱为四人量。 Example sentencesExamples This recipe makes enough to serve four as a main course, more as a side dish. Thai food is significantly less meat-intensive than American, and half a pound of meat is enough to serve four. 2.3British Attend to (a customer in a store) 接待（顾客） she turned to serve the impatient customer 她转身去接待那个不耐烦的顾客。 Example sentencesExamples Called Serenade, the Victoria Road shop was serving its first customers today. Also I think it is so rude to be in a shop and being served whilst having a chat on the phone. Sofi finished serving her customer and asked one of her shop assistant to take over. Mary didn't say anything more, she finally forced the smile her face had been promising and then went back to serving the other customers. The shop served its last customers on Friday after being based on Newmarket Street for more than 17 years. She took it without hesitation and wandered off to serve the other customers. It was the husband of the woman who had served Freya in the shop. The story begins with Bruno the Bear, the proud owner of a sweet shop, serving Olga, the Russian owner of an animal circus. Among Mike's duties yesterday were serving customers, tidying up and putting security tags on items of clothing. Shop managers cannot do anything because they are serving a queue of customers. Mark, Andrew and Esther were in the shop front, serving customers. Synonyms attend to, give one's attention to, attend to the requirements of, deal with, see to 2.4 Supply (goods) to a customer. 提供（商品）给顾客 2.5Christian Church no object Act as a server at the celebration of the Eucharist. 〔基督教〕在弥撒中担任助祭 2.6archaic with two objects Play (a trick) on (someone) 〈古〉对…耍（花招）；开（某人）（玩笑） I remember the trick you served me 我记得你对我开的玩笑。 3Law Deliver (a document such as a summons or writ) in a formal manner to the person to whom it is addressed. 〔律〕送达（传票、令状等） a warrant was served on Jack Sherman Example sentencesExamples The prisoner had already served notice of application to appeal to the final court. Enforcement notices are only served as a last resort, when all efforts to negotiate have failed. Writs were served on 30 councillors, who were jailed for their pains in September 1921. He said the minister would be seeking quashing of the arrest warrant against him on the ground that no summons were served on him. Empanelling a grand jury empowers prosecutors both to serve subpoenas, and to gather testimony under oath. 3.1 Deliver a document to (someone) in a formal manner. 向…送达文书 they were just about to serve him with a writ 他们正准备给他送达一张令状。 Example sentencesExamples While defendant was in custody awaiting an extradition hearing he was served with the Complaint herein. We understand you were served with documents from the defense. He was then served with an appropriate prosecution statement and ordered to respond by 7th September. As a consequence, the police were unable to locate him to serve him with a subpoena. When the breath tests were completed, he was served with the appropriate documentation and released on a promise to appear. Synonyms deliver to, present with, give to, hand over to, cause to accept 4Be of use in achieving or satisfying. 实现；满足 this book will serve a useful purpose 这本书将会派上用途。 the union came into existence to serve the interests of musicians 协会的成立是为了满足音乐家的利益。 Example sentencesExamples The very existence of law on the statute books serves the purpose. Any such individual action would be irresponsible and unwarranted and would serve no useful purpose. It serves no other useful purpose than to inspire and feed the soul. Laser shots and explosions are fairly generic but serve the purpose well. It does serve his political strategy to stay away from the facts. It points to a post-medical age, where doctors serve desires rather than treat disease. Indeed, they may tend to serve this function even better than traditional media. The proposed lake, which has caused some concern locally in case it affects underground water supplies, will serve three purposes. Also, officers have the added functions of setting goals and inspiring others to achieve them to serve this purpose. Dropping down into the second team would serve no useful purpose. They do not satisfy hunger and serve no purpose other than to make the companies that make them wealthy. What useful purpose is served by stigmatizing work that someone is going to have to do anyway? I don't think he serves any useful purpose for the Democrats. A price war, he warns his prospective rivals, will serve neither party's interests. Even if debunked, the book serves a valuable purpose by encouraging new ways of thinking about intelligence and efforts to build intelligent computers. His selective memory serves no interest but his own agenda. The goal was the worthy one of racial integration, but it was served by treating children differently based on their race. I am not convinced that any especially useful purpose would be served by that. Organizational culture establishes norms and expectations of how people should be treated and serve the needs of the organization. In essence, the board of directors tries to make sure that shareholders' interests are well served. Synonyms suffice, be adequate, be good enough, be all right, fill the bill, fit the bill, do, answer 4.1no object Be of some specified use. 有用，起作用 with infinitive sweat serves to cool down the body 出汗起到给身体降温的作用。 the island's one pub serves as a cafe by day Example sentencesExamples A sheet of red outdoor fabric serves as the roof. The above examples serve to underline how limited our philosophy of health has become. The president serves as the soul of a university, with his/her personality, morality and educational ideas usually having a profound influence on the university culture. Though certainly these later developments served to reinforce and spread the use of such techniques. Elastomer and fabric device serves as both a seal and a filter. A salvaged piece of marble serves as the countertop. The whole episode has already served to highlight a number of important economic issues. But the case serves as a warning that the industry will have to find a new way of distributing music which appeals to these kids, and the growing number of people who are searching for their entertainment online. The exercise not only serves as warning, punishment, or purge but also advertises to his subjects, his enemies, and his potential rivals that he is strong. History will serve only to remind us that man's reach always exceeds his grasp. A weblog serves as a perfect tool for disseminating this type of information. The photographic imprint serves as a substitute. Having students present the same material during lab served to reinforce their knowledge. However, it just so happens that a human being standing on the ground near the object serves as a perfectly good conductor as well. This kind of reasoning is, of course, nonsense, but it serves as an illustration of the danger in concocting fanciful theories based on historical precedents. First and primarily, military advice serves to set a baseline for the analysis of any proposed intervention. That's why an old photograph taped to the refrigerator door serves as a daily reminder of the girl she once was. It's almost like a superhero film, with magic tricks serving as Danny's powers, helping him solve any sticky situation. Armstrong serves as an inspiration to many and is clearly one of the most significant contributors to black culture of the 20th, and perhaps any, century. All of this served to underline the dangers, as much as the benefits, of nationalism. Synonyms act as, function as, fulfil the function of, do duty as, do the work of, act as a substitute for 4.2 Function for or treat (someone) in a specified way. 对待 the strategy served him well Example sentencesExamples I certainly anticipate that the hummingbird will serve them well for many years to come. Facts that did not serve him were treated like unruly underlings. A second bird dislocated a shoulder and his wing would never be strong enough to serve him in the wild. A strategy that has served me well is to pack lightweight, situation-specific bags and boxes. On three occasions, this strategy has served him well, but his dog funds show the downside of this approach. Which are you - do you take the plunge, or do you play it safe, and does your strategy serve you well? They've been busy painting, drawing comics and playing in side projects, and the breather has served them well. He maintained the risk-free strategy that has served him so well in recent rallies. He identifies the televevangelist model of religious dissemination as one aspect in a wider media strategy that serves the power holders and encourages passivity in people. The strategy of deterrence which served us so well during the decades of the Cold War will no longer do. A positive attitude toward others is a strategy that serves you throughout any interaction. It has served Private Eye fairly well over the years. For millions of years, while big sharks had few natural predators, this survival strategy served them well. I can't deny that this strategy has served me well in the short term. Synonyms treat, deal with, act towards, behave towards, conduct oneself towards, handle 4.3 (of a male breeding-animal) copulate with (a female). （雄性种畜）与（雌性）交配 5no object (in tennis and other racket sports) hit the ball or shuttlecock to begin play. （网球等用拍的运动）发球 he tossed the ball up to serve 他把球抛起发球。 with object serve the ball onto the front wall 朝着前面的墙发球。 Example sentencesExamples He got the message, gave Gracie and me a salute, and ran back to his game, serving the ball and acing it. Taking a deep breath, I took my stance, and served that fuzzy yellow ball with all my might. The players exchange words at the beginning of the game as Scott accuses his opponent of failing to tell him he was serving with new balls in the previous game. Everyone fell silent though when the prince raised his racket and ball to serve. Before serving in the final game, Pierce had a trainer apply treatment and massage her aching shoulder. 6Nautical Bind (a rope) with thin cord to protect or strengthen it. 〔航海〕卷缠（绳索） 7Military Operate (a gun) 〔军〕操作（枪炮） before long Lodge was the only man in his section able to serve the guns 很快洛奇就成了小队里唯一能操作枪炮的人了。 Example sentencesExamples It was even said that she carried hot coffee to all the officers and then carried more hot coffee in pails to the artilleryman serving the guns. nounsərvsərv (in tennis and other racket sports) an act or turn of hitting the ball or shuttlecock to start play. （网球等用拍的运动）发球 he was let down by an erratic serve 一个怪异的发球使他失误了。 Example sentencesExamples Rafter chipped and charged on Agassi's second serves. In fact, he conceded only 12 points on his serve in nine service games. With the big serves in today's tennis, I'm not sure this match will ever be equalled. He could hardly get a serve into court, seemed too tall and cumbersome to move well or bend, and looked thoroughly outclassed. In pro tennis serves can sometimes reach speeds over 209 kph, or 185 feet per second. Phrases if my memory serves me If I remember correctly. 如果我没记错的话 Example sentencesExamples And if my memory serves me correctly the girls who work there are little angels. It was passed by State Parliament and if my memory serves me correctly the coalition opposition supported the bill. I think you were allowed seven minutes if my memory serves me correctly. At 62 she rarely betrayed her age and, if my memory serves me correctly, she performed a number of encores to thank the very enthusiastic audience. Recently I recall a player going to the courts to seek justice for a severe injury (a broken jaw if my memory serves me correctly) he received in a Gaelic football match. serve at table Act as a waiter. 当侍者 Example sentencesExamples One day while serving at table he was reprimanded for not paying attention to his duties. Apart from serving at table he listened sympathetically to their life-stories, encouraged them and praised their endeavours. He was not a factor but ‘was employed as a footman in livery and served at table and occasionally dressed and took care of his Masters Horses.’ They were served at table by a disciplined army of girls. French waiters are highly trained in the art of serving at table, but sometimes customers would happily settle for less expertise - if only there were more of them so that they didn't have to wait so long to be served. serve someone right Be someone's deserved punishment or misfortune. 罪有应得；活该 it would serve you right if Jeff walked out on you 如果杰夫离你而去的话，那你活该。 Example sentencesExamples Their scheming, however, will backfire when they find themselves sidelined and excluded from any future debates on major world affairs and might I say - it serves them right! I had a head under the covers morning, following on and serving me right for my festive over-indulgence at dinner last night. Ah well… serves me right for trying to have a social life, right? He was correct as usual, and it basically served me right. It would serve them right if they were shut down as a result of the same disregard for public opinion and democracy. If you're dumb enough to walk into a sign it serves you right, you do not deserve money. I mean, it serves them right for including such a confusing item on their checklist, right? Yes I know it would serve us right for our wastefulness and greed and selfishness and indifference to the lives of millions of people on this planet who have never enjoyed what we take for granted. It serves them right for charging a ridiculous amount to park and for not ensuring the safety of our cars. Instead, he told me it served me right for looking to a place like that for self-affirmation. serve one's time 1Hold office for the normal period. 任期内任职 Example sentencesExamples He was appointed to the post of county manager after serving his time as county engineer in Donegal. If he is not in death row and he's serving out his time in a maximum-security prison, he will be afforded special treatment, if you will. These individuals, after they serve their time in the states, will be deported, and one of our goals is to make sure that when they're deported, they don't come back. If he really served his time in the National Guard during the Vietnam War, he could easily prove it. There are new questions about the military's policy for calling up troops who have already served their time. 1.1Spend time in office, in an apprenticeship, or in prison. 任职；做学徒；服刑 Example sentencesExamples They finally tracked him down to an English prison where he was serving time for a similar crime but under a false name. You will never see me on the front lines - I am in complete moral opposition to war, and would rather serve time in prison than spend time with a rifle. They were sentenced to 15 months, but given a suspended sentence, which means they didn't have to serve time in prison. Most of the former soldiers have already served time in Soviet prisons for war crimes. He says he robbed banks and served time in prison. serve two masters Take orders from two superiors or follow two conflicting or opposing principles or policies at the same time. 侍二主；同时遵循两种相悖的原则（或政策） Example sentencesExamples Instead, they create this shared management - and no man can serve two masters happily - across all of New Zealand potentially. That means he must serve two masters - company shareholders and fund investors - whose interests may not always be in sync. You have to serve two masters: the president of the United States, and you also try to help the Washington press corps do its job. She added that psychiatrists can end up serving two masters when they get into the position of being an administrator rather than a clinician, and a choice has to be made. But that's exactly what's happening because of a gargantuan conflict of interest: The giant mutual funds are serving two masters. If other parties do not want to be stained by the suggestion that they serve two masters, I suggest that they should move amendments to exempt themselves. A man cannot serve two masters - eventually, you will be forced to choose. And it was not working, this attempt to serve two masters. This arrogant contempt for our local town and parish councils by Bradford shows that you cannot serve two masters. It is law layered with politics, which, as a lawyer, I can tell you is the worst kind of fact situation you can find, because you end up serving two masters and it's almost an impossible situation. Phrasal Verbs serve out Win the final game of a set or match while serving. 〔网球〕发球赢得最后的比赛 Fitzgerald then served out for the set 费茨杰拉德本局最后一场凭发球取胜。 Origin Middle English: from Old French servir, from Latin servire, from servus ‘slave’. verb.1 phr. phr.v.
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