verb · neutral
serve
UK/sɜːv/US/sɜrv/SERVE
to bring or provide food or help to someone; to work for customers
Examples
“The staff serve hot meals from 12 to 2 pm.”
“He used to serve customers at a café while he was a student.”
“This dish is served with rice and salad.”
Band 8 sentence
“In many cafés, staff are expected to serve customers quickly while maintaining a polite and friendly manner.”
Collocations
- serve food
- serve customers
- be served with
Word family
Common mistakes
The restaurant serve good food.→The restaurant serves good food.
They served me water by the glass.→They served me water in a glass.
He serves as a waiter job.→He works as a waiter.
Say it for a higher band
5give→6bring→7+serve
Synonyms
wait on
provide
Easily confused
wait on
“The waiter waited on five tables at once.”
provide
“The company provides meals for its staff.”
Related words
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In Food & Cooking
Learn it with its set