(a) To be of service, be employed, work; labor (to do sth.); have a responsibility (to do sth.); ~ at the barre, practice law; ~ for, serve in order to get (sth., a wife); also, work (to do sth.); ~ in-to, serve in order to get (a wife); ~ o, work in (the kitchen); ~ of, be employed in (an office, an activity); do (sth.), labor at; also, be useful for (sth.); ~ of no-thing, be useless; servinge man (womman); (b) to be in the service of (sb., the king), perform a service for (sb., the soul), work for; look after (a city, worldly business), attend to; ~ foule, do (sb.) a disservice; ~ of nought, perform no service for (sb.); ~ to, look after (a city), work for (sb.), benefit (sb., the dead); ~ unto, serve (sb.); (c) to serve during (a period of time), labor during; serve (sb. during a period of time); ~ bi (in) the yer, serve during a year; (d) to perform (one's duty); carry out (one's or a person's intention or wish), promote; conduct (a battle); perpetrate (evil deeds); be an operative in (an alchemical process), assist with.

Of parts of the body: (a) to be devoted to (a specific purpose or function); ~ to, be an instrument of (physical perception), be of use to; (b) to contribute to the functioning of another bodily part; contribute to the activity of (an organ, a limb, etc.), function with respect to, be an instrument of; ~ to.

(a) To attend as servant, assume the role of personal attendant, squire, page, handmaiden, etc.; ~ before (to), attend upon (sb.); also fig. [quot.: c1450(a1400)]; (b) to attend upon (sb.), be personal servant to; also in proverbs; also, of a buck: act as squire to (a stag); (c) fig. of (b); (d) ~ to fot and honde, ~ til honde and fot, ~ fro fot to honde, ~ at (to, til) honde, ~ at (al to) wille, ~ at al pointes, to be entirely at (someone's) service, serve entirely at (someone's) pleasure; ~ to bed and to bord, ~ at mete and bed, serve (sb.) at table and in bed, attend upon in all conjugal relationships; (e) to wait on (customers).

(a) To serve (sb.) as an apprentice or an assistant; assist (a workman); (b) to complete (one's term) as a workman's assistant.

(a) To serve as knight or retainer, attend at court; ~ to (til), serve (sb.) as knight or retainer; also fig.; ~ to the glose, serve with servile flattery or deceit; (b) to serve (sb.) as knight or retainer; render service to (a sovereign); also in fig. context [quot.: a1375]; also iron. [quot.: Chartier Quad.(1)].

(a) To render the service of a professed lover; ~ of nought, serve in an unrequited suit; ~ to, serve (sb.) as lover; (b) to serve (sb.) as lover; longe served loves, examples of love achieved by long service; (c) to copulate with (a woman).

(a) To serve as slave; ~ to, be a slave to (sb.); ~ under, be a slave to (sth.); servinge to, enslaved under (tribute); also, enslaved by (passions); bonde servinge womman, a female slave; (b) to serve (sb.) as slave; also fig.; ~ servage, endure servitude; (c) ~ the dep, to be the slave of the deep, be driven by the sea.

(a) To be subservient, be subject, be obedient; ~ to, be subject to (sb.); be obedient to (a command or request), accede to; ppl. servinge as noun: a subject [quot.: a1382, 3rd]; (b) to owe allegiance to (sb. or sth.), be subject to (sb.); -- also in proverb; be obedient to (sb., a person's will or letter); do homage to (sb.) [quot.: a1425(?a1350)]; (c) to refer to (another text).

(a) To perform religious rites, worship; ~ in (til, upon), serve (God), adore; ~ to, worship (God, a pagan god, idols, etc.); also, reverence (the number seven); (b) to perform rites honoring (God, Christ, an idol), worship; ~ holi chirche, observe the rites of the church; (c) to venerate (the Virgin Mary, a saint); honor (God's magnanimity).

(a) To officiate at mass or other religious rites; serve in a priestly office; ~ to, assist (a priest) in an official capacity; also, worship (God) by officiating in religious rites; (b) to officiate in the worship of (God, idols), serve as priest; (c) ~ (the) chirche (the chapele, the auter), to officiate at mass; perform the priestly duties of a church or chapel; ~ the temple, perform the priestly duties of the Temple (using a sacred vessel); (d) to assist at mass as server; assist (a priest) as server; (e) to serve (sb.) in a priestly office.

(a) To serve God, live or exist in obedience to God's will; ~ in, serve (the Lord); ~ to (til), act in accordance with the will of (God, Christ), serve; ppl. servinge as noun: those serving God; (b) to serve (God, Christ, the Virgin Mary), obey habitually the will or commands of (God); ~ holi chirche, obey the teaching of the church; (c) to fulfill the commands of (a deity), serve; ~ venus (cupide, god of love, etc.), love, be a professed lover, engage in sexual intercourse; ~ diana, be a devotee of the goddess Diana, engage in hunting; (d) to serve (the devil, world, one's stomach, etc.), follow the promptings of; ~ to; (e) to obey (the will of God); ~ unto, obey (Cupid's commandment); (f) with nonpersonal subject: to be employed in the service of (God).

(a) To serve at table, present or distribute food; ~ at bord; ~ in sale (halle); ~ of cuppe (botelerie, win, etc.), be responsible for serving drink; (b) to serve (sb.) at table; present (sb., a hawk) with food or drink; ~ of (with, withal), serve (sb.) using (a cup, vessel, etc.); sengli served, ?attended at table by one servant; (c) to serve (food); also fig.; ~ forth (in, forth in), present (food); -- also without obj.; ~ up; (d) to serve (sb. with food or drink) at table; ~ of (with); ~ to the chese, ?serve (sb.) all the courses of a meal, serve (sb.) a complete meal; (e) to present (vessels) at the table; ~ with, spread (the table) with (food).

(a) To provide for (sb.), attend to; provide for the needs of (sb., the body, a city); provide game for (a hawk); ~ of, provide for (sb.) with (sth.); ~ with, provide for (sb.) with (sth.); also, deceive (sb.) with (tricks); (b) to provide (sth.), offer, supply; ~ o (of), provide (sth.); (c) ~ of, to provide (sb. or sth.) with (sth.); also, pronounce (a judgment) on (sb.).

Law To serve (a writ, warrant, process, etc.); render (judgment) [1st quot.]; also, give (sb.) legal notice of (sth.).

(a) To minister, give aid; minister to (sb.), give help or aid to; give assistance to (an ally); ~ to; ~ to honde and fot, minister to (sb.) attentively; servinge spirites, ministering angels; (b) to care for (a tree, one's physical nature), tend (a plant).

With nonpersonal subj.: (a) to be beneficial, be suitable for a purpose or function, avail; be useful to (sb., an animal, a bird), avail, benefit; promote (an activity, a desired end), be effective for; ~ in better use, serve a better purpose; what serveth, what is the use of (sth.), how does (sth.) benefit (sb.); (b) to be used for or in connection with (sth.); be used on (an occasion); be efficacious during (a period of time); (c) with inf.: to serve (to do sth.), be useful, be designed; enable (sb. to do sth.), allow; (d) ~ in, to be used in (an activity, a particular place); ~ in-to, promote (an activity, the development of a virtue); ~ in stede of, be used instead of (sth.); (e) ~ at, to be used for (an altar), be used at (a mass or other service, a specified time during a mass); (f) ~ for, to be effective for (sth., a purpose), effect; be used for (sth., a purpose, an occasion, etc.); exist for (a purpose); (g) ~ of, to be of benefit or use in regard to (sth.); be used for (sth.), be used as, promote; ~ of necessarie service, perform a vital function; ~ of nought, serve no purpose, be of no benefit or use; wherof serveth, what avails (sth.), what purpose is served by; also, what betokens (sth.) [quot.: a1393]; (h) ~ til, to serve (a purpose); ~ to, be used or useful in or for (sth.), contribute to, promote; be effective in regard to (the eye); benefit (sb.); (i) ?to constitute (a period of time).

(a) To be equal to the task, suffice, be sufficient; (b) to be sufficient for (sth.); ~ for, be sufficient for (sth.); also, of a person: be equal to (a task), be competent to accomplish; ppl. served, accommodated, served sufficiently; (c) to be sufficient for (sb.), be good enough for; ~ for, be sufficient for (an army); (d) min herte wol not ~, I have not the courage; his herte served him, he had the courage necessary (to do sth.); his herte might not ~ him, min herte wol not ~ me, etc., he lacks (I lack) the courage or strength of will (to do sth.).

To satisfy (sb., a desire, one's physical nature, religious law, etc.); cater to (someone's wit); ppl. served, content, well or fully served.

(a) To treat (sb. or sth.) in some fashion; (b) to mistreat (sb., an animal), punish, torture, kill, etc.; ~ to; ~ wel, kill (a deer); (c) to affect (sb.) injuriously.

Gram. ~ to, to be followed by (a certain grammatical form), require, signal; govern (a certain case), take (a certain mood).

(a) The word 'serve'; (b) in surname.