serve out


Also found in: Thesaurus, Legal, Idioms, Encyclopedia.
Related to serve out: serve up
Translations
يُوَزِّع على عددٍ من النّاس
podat všem
dele ud
bera fram; skammta

w>serve out

vt sep
foodausgeben; rations etcvergeben, verteilen
(= work out) time in armyableisten; apprenticeshipbeenden, abschließen; term of officeausüben; sentenceabsitzen
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

serve

(səːv) verb
1. to work for a person etc eg as a servant. He served his master for forty years.
2. to distribute food etc or supply goods. She served the soup to the guests; Which shop assistant served you (with these goods)?
3. to be suitable for a purpose. This upturned bucket will serve as a seat.
4. to perform duties, eg as a member of the armed forces. He served (his country) as a soldier for twenty years; I served on the committee for five years.
5. to undergo (a prison sentence). He served (a sentence of) six years for armed robbery.
6. in tennis and similar games, to start the play by throwing up the ball etc and hitting it. He served the ball into the net; Is it your turn to serve?
noun
act of serving (a ball).
ˈserver noun
1. (usually in plural) a utensil used in serving food. salad servers.
2. a person who serves (a ball).
ˈserving noun
a portion of food served. I had two servings of pie.
it serves you etc right
you etc deserve your misfortune etc. He has done no work so it will serve him right if he fails his exam.
serve an apprenticeship
to spend a (fixed) period of time as an apprentice.
serve out
to distribute to each of a number of people. She served out the pudding.
serve up
to start serving (a meal).
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
References in periodicals archive ?
Although those who serve out may have profiles suggesting a greater degree of involvement in criminal subcultures and higher risk of reincarceration, they are actually less likely to be reincarcerated within five years.