serve

The word "serve" is very useful when preparing food, bringing food to a table, or planning a menu:

• How many people does this recipe serve?
• This amount of food will serve eight people.
• The hosts served their guests hors d’oeuvres before everyone sat down to dinner.
• What are they serving for dinner?
• What kind of food does that restaurant serve?
• That’s a beautiful serving dish. (The word "serving" is an adjective in this sentence.)

Christine will be your server. (You can use the word "server" in place of "waiter" or "waitress" when in a restaurant or bar.)

The word "serve" is also used to describe people who help their community as police officers, firefighters, teachers, and members of the military:

• Officer Peterson has been serving his community for over 30 years.
• Overall, the men and women who served in Iraq and Afghanistan represented the United States well.
• Laurie Nelson serves as the Chief of Police for the town of River Grove.

Click here to go to the Word of the Day page.

This page was first published on November 21, 2012. It was updated on December 19, 2015.