Collocations for serve - verb
1. give sb food or drink
PREPOSITION
to
They served a wonderful meal to more than 50 delegates.
They served a wonderful meal to more than 50 delegates.
with
The delegates were served with a wonderful meal.
Serve the lamb with new potatoes and green beans.
The delegates were served with a wonderful meal.
Serve the lamb with new potatoes and green beans.
PHRASES
dinner is served
‘Dinner is served!’ Katie announced.
‘Dinner is served!’ Katie announced.
serve sth chilled,
serve sth cold,
serve sth hot
The quiche can be served hot or cold.
The quiche can be served hot or cold.
2. work
ADVERB
faithfully,
loyally,
well
She served the family faithfully for many years (= as a servant).
She served the family faithfully for many years (= as a servant).
better
Let us know how we can better serve your needs.
Let us know how we can better serve your needs.
currently
She is currently serving as special adviser to the American Ambassador.
She is currently serving as special adviser to the American Ambassador.
previously
PREPOSITION
as
I shall continue to serve as a trustee.
I shall continue to serve as a trustee.
in
She served in the medical corps.
to serve in the army/military/navy
She served in the medical corps.
to serve in the army/military/navy
on
I currently serve on the Board of Directors.
to serve on the committee/jury/panel
I currently serve on the Board of Directors.
to serve on the committee/jury/panel
under
He served under President Reagan in the 1980s.
He served under President Reagan in the 1980s.
PHRASES
if memory serves you,
if memory serves (you) correctly,
if memory serves you right
If memory serves me right, we arrived on June 22, which was a Tuesday.
If memory serves me right, we arrived on June 22, which was a Tuesday.
serve in a … capacity,
serve in this/that capacity
She has served in an advisory capacity for a number of groups.
She has served in an advisory capacity for a number of groups.
serve on active duty
(esp. AmE)
He served on active duty in the US Marine Corps.
He served on active duty in the US Marine Corps.
serve with distinction
He served with distinction in the First World War.
He served with distinction in the First World War.
3. be useful
ADVERB
merely,
only,
simply
This only served to complicate the situation further.
This only served to complicate the situation further.
mainly,
mostly,
primarily
The Declaration served primarily as a propaganda piece.
The Declaration served primarily as a propaganda piece.
well
This strategy has always served him well.
This strategy has always served him well.
PREPOSITION
as
The texts ultimately serve as springboards for the artists' imagination.
The texts ultimately serve as springboards for the artists' imagination.
Serve is used with these nouns as the subject:
cafe, clinic, dining room, felon, inmate, landlord, lift, main, officer, pastor, recipe, restaurant, servant, soldier, staff, troops, veteran, waiter, waitress
cafe, clinic, dining room, felon, inmate, landlord, lift, main, officer, pastor, recipe, restaurant, servant, soldier, staff, troops, veteran, waiter, waitress
Serve is used with these nouns as the object:
ace, alcohol, beer, buffet, cause, church, client, clientele, cocktail, congregation, country, crown, cuisine, customer, dessert, detention, dish, drink, end, fare, fault, food, function, god, guest, interest, justice, king, liquor, lord, lunch, mankind, market, master, menu, nation, need, niche, notice, profession, public, purpose, refreshment, role, seafood, sentence, snack, soup, stint, summons, suspension, tea, term, turkey, warrant, wine, writ
ace, alcohol, beer, buffet, cause, church, client, clientele, cocktail, congregation, country, crown, cuisine, customer, dessert, detention, dish, drink, end, fare, fault, food, function, god, guest, interest, justice, king, liquor, lord, lunch, mankind, market, master, menu, nation, need, niche, notice, profession, public, purpose, refreshment, role, seafood, sentence, snack, soup, stint, summons, suspension, tea, term, turkey, warrant, wine, writ