Cambridge Dictionaries online Cambridge Dictionaries online

The most popular online dictionary and thesaurus for learners of English

  

serve

verb (SPEND TIME)
 
 
/sɜːv/ US  /sɝːv/

Definition

C2 [T] to spend a period of time doing something: He served four years in prison for robbery. After he'd served his apprenticeship he found work overseas.Spending time and time passing serve time to spend time in prison: He's serving time for drugs offences.Putting people in prison
(Definition of serve verb (SPEND TIME) from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

Word of the Day

a cloud on the horizon

something which threatens to cause problems or unhappiness in the future

Word of the Day

Blog

Read our blog about how the English language behaves.

Learn More

New Words

Find words and meanings that have just started to be used in English, and let us know what you think of them.

Learn More