1. (v. t.) To work for; to labor in behalf of; to exert one's self continuously or statedly for the benefit of; to do service for; to be in the employment of, as an inferior, domestic, serf, slave, hired assistant, official helper, etc.; specifically, in a religious sense, to obey and worship.

2. (v. t.) To be subordinate to; to act a secondary part under; to appear as the inferior of; to minister to.

3. (v. t.) To be suitor to; to profess love to.

4. (v. t.) To wait upon; to supply the wants of; to attend; specifically, to wait upon at table; to attend at meals; to supply with food; as, to serve customers in a shop.

5. (v. t.) Hence, to bring forward, arrange, deal, or distribute, as a portion of anything, especially of food prepared for eating; -- often with up; formerly with in.

6. (v. t.) To perform the duties belonging to, or required in or for; hence, to be of use to; as, a curate may serve two churches; to serve one's country.

7. (v. t.) To contribute or conduce to; to promote; to be sufficient for; to satisfy; as, to serve one's turn.

8. (v. t.) To answer or be (in the place of something) to; as, a sofa serves one for a seat and a couch.

9. (v. t.) To treat; to behave one's self to; to requite; to act toward; as, he served me very ill.

10. (v. t.) To work; to operate; as, to serve the guns.

11. (v. t.) To bring to notice, deliver, or execute, either actually or constructively, in such manner as the law requires; as, to serve a summons.

12. (v. t.) To make legal service upon (a person named in a writ, summons, etc.); as, to serve a witness with a subpoena.

13. (v. t.) To pass or spend, as time, esp. time of punishment; as, to serve a term in prison.

14. (v. t.) To copulate with; to cover; as, a horse serves a mare; -- said of the male.

15. (v. t.) To lead off in delivering (the ball).

16. (v. t.) To wind spun yarn, or the like, tightly around (a rope or cable, etc.) so as to protect it from chafing or from the weather. See under Serving.

17. (v. i.) To be a servant or a slave; to be employed in labor or other business for another; to be in subjection or bondage; to render menial service.

18. (v. i.) To perform domestic offices; to be occupied with household affairs; to prepare and dish up food, etc.

19. (v. i.) To be in service; to do duty; to discharge the requirements of an office or employment. Specifically, to act in the public service, as a soldier, seaman. etc.

20. (v. i.) To be of use; to answer a purpose; to suffice; to suit; to be convenient or favorable.

21. (v. i.) To lead off in delivering the ball.

accommodate accord act act as act for administer administer to advance advantage afford allot allow answer answer for assist attend attend on attend to avail award ball be OK be correct be equal to be found wanting be handy be inferior be instrumental be intimate be of use be right bear bear arms befit befitting behave bend to benefit bestead bestow bestow on bias bid come bowl break no bones call call away call back call for call forth call in call out call together call up care for carry arms cast catapult cater to change of pace change-up chore chuck chunk cite cohabit come short come together commit adultery communicate complete conduce confer conjure conjure up contribute convene convoke copulate couple cover curve dance attendance upon dart dash deal deal out demand diddle dish out dish up dispense dispose distribute do do active duty do duty do for do good do it do no harm do service to do the job do the trick dole dole out donate downcurve drudge endure evoke extend facilitate fail fall short fastball favor fight for fill the bill fire fit fling flip follow fork fork out fornicate forward forward pass frig fulfill function function as get by gift gift with give give freely give good returns give out go go around go between go through grant gratify hack it hand out have a tendency have nothing on have sex have sexual relations head heap heave help help to hold hurl hurtle impart incline incurve indent invoke issue jerk just do knuckleball lackey lance last lateral lateral pass launch lavish lay lead lean let fly let have lie with lob look after look to maid make make available make it with make love make out make the grade mate mediate meet meet requirements mete mete out minister to mount move muster muster up not approach not come amiss not come near not compare not fail not hack it not make it not measure up oblige offer officiate operate order up outcurve page pander to pass pass muster pay pay off peg pelt perform as pitch pitchfork play play second fiddle point point to pour practice preconize present proceed proffer profit promote provide put put the shot qualify rain rank under reach recall redound to relate render requisition satisfy screw