different between back vs serve

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA^(key): /bæk/, [bæk], [bak], [-k?], [-?k]
• (Scouse) IPA^(key): [bax]
• Rhymes: -æk
• Hyphenation: back

Etymology 1

From Middle English bak, from Old English bæc, from Proto-West Germanic *bak, from Proto-Germanic *bak?, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *b?ogo (literally “bending”). The adverb represents an aphetic form of aback.

Compare Middle Low German bak (“back”), from Old Saxon bak, and West Frisian bekling (“chair back”), Old High German bah, Swedish and Norwegian bak. Cognate with German Bache (“sow [adult female hog]”).

Adjective

back (not generally comparable, comparative more back, superlative most back)

1. At or near the rear.

2. Not current.

3. Situated away from the main or most frequented areas.

4. In arrears; overdue.

5. Moving or operating backward.

7. (comparable, phonetics) Pronounced with the highest part of the body of the tongue toward the back of the mouth, near the soft palate (most often describing a vowel).

Usage notes

In linguistic use describing the position of the tongue, the comparative backer and superlative backest are usual; these may also be occasionally found for other senses, especially informally.

Synonyms

• (near the rear): rear
• (not current): former, previous

Antonyms

• (near the rear, phonetics): front
• (not current): current
• (away from the main area): main (of roads)

Translations

See also

• back vowel

Adverb

back (comparative further back, superlative furthest back)

1. (not comparable) To or in a previous condition or place.

2. In a direction opposite to that in which someone or something is facing or normally pointing.

   Someone pushed me in the chest and I fell back.

   The grandfather clock toppled back and crashed to the ground.

   Her arm was bent back at an odd angle.

3. In a direction opposite to the usual or desired direction of movement or progress, physically or figuratively.

4. So as to reverse direction and return.

   The light bounces back off the mirror.

5. Towards, into or in the past.

6. Away from someone or something; at a distance.

   Keep back! It could explode at any moment!

7. Away from the front or from an edge.
8. So as shrink, recede or move aside, or cause to do so.

   This tree is dying back.

   Clear back all this vegetation.

   Draw back the curtains and let in some light.

9. In a manner that impedes.

10. (not comparable) In a reciprocal manner; in return.

11. (postpositive) Earlier, ago.

12. To a later point in time. See also put back.

Translations

Postposition

back

1. Before now, ago
   • Woods, John (1822) Two Years' Residence in the Settlement on the English Prairie, in the Illinois Country, United States (in English), page 138: “Our road was chiefly through woods, and part of it lay through the Hurricane-track, that is where a strong wind, some years back, opened a passage through the woods for a mile in breadth...”

Noun

back (plural backs)

1. The rear of the body, especially the part between the neck and the end of the spine and opposite the chest and belly.
   1. The spine and associated tissues.

   2. (slang, uncountable) Large and attractive buttocks.
   3. (figuratively) The part of a piece of clothing which covers the back.

   4. The backrest, the part of a piece of furniture which receives the human back.

   5. (obsolete) That part of the body that bears clothing. (Now used only in the phrase clothes on one's back.)
2. That which is farthest away from the front.
   1. The side of any object which is opposite the front or useful side.
      1. The edge of a book which is bound.

      2. (printing) The inside margin of a page.
      3. The side of a blade opposite the side used for cutting.

   2. The reverse side; the side that is not normally seen.

   3. Area behind, such as the backyard of a house.

   4. The part of something that goes last.

   5. (sports) In some team sports, a position behind most players on the team.
3. (figuratively) Upper part of a natural object which is considered to resemble an animal's back.

4. A support or resource in reserve.
5. (nautical) The keel and keelson of a ship.

6. (mining) The roof of a horizontal underground passage.
7. (slang, uncountable) Effort, usually physical.

8. A non-alcoholic drink (often water or a soft drink), to go with hard liquor or a cocktail.

9. Among leather dealers, one of the thickest and stoutest tanned hides.
   • 1848, Maine Supreme Judicial Court, Maine Reports (volume 6, page 397)

     […] as delivered by a tanner the average weight of a back and two strips would be about 42 pounds […].

Synonyms

• (side opposite the visible side): reverse
• (rear of the body): dorsum

Hyponyms

• (lower rear of the body): See Thesaurus:buttocks

Antonyms

• (side opposite the front or useful side): front
• (that which is farthest away from the front): front

Coordinate terms

• (non-alcoholic drink): chaser

Derived terms

• abackward
• ass backward
• have someone's back

Related terms

• bacon

Translations

Verb

back (third-person singular simple present backs, present participle backing, simple past and past participle backed)

1. (intransitive) To go in the reverse direction.
2. (transitive) To support.
3. (nautical, of the wind) To change direction contrary to the normal pattern; that is, to shift anticlockwise in the northern hemisphere, or clockwise in the southern hemisphere.
4. (nautical, of a square sail) To brace the yards so that the wind presses on the front of the sail, to slow the ship.
5. (nautical, of an anchor) To lay out a second, smaller anchor to provide additional holding power.
6. (Britain, of a hunting dog) To stand still behind another dog which has pointed.
7. (transitive) To push or force backwards.

8. (transitive, obsolete) To get upon the back of; to mount.
9. (transitive, obsolete) To place or seat upon the back.
10. To make a back for; to furnish with a back.

11. To adjoin behind; to be at the back of.
    • 1877, Thomas Henry Huxley, Physiography: An Introduction to the Study of Nature

      the chalk cliffs which back the beach

    • So this was my future home, I thought! […] Backed by towering hills, the but faintly discernible purple line of the French boundary off to the southwest, a sky of palest Gobelin flecked with fat, fleecy little clouds, it in truth looked a dear little city; the city of one's dreams.

12. To write upon the back of, possibly as an endorsement.

13. (law, of a justice of the peace) To sign or endorse (a warrant, issued in another county, to apprehend an offender).
14. To row backward with (oars).

Antonyms

• (nautical: of the wind): veer

Translations

Derived terms

Etymology 2

Borrowed from French bac.

Noun

back (plural backs)

1. A large shallow vat; a cistern, tub, or trough, used by brewers, distillers, dyers, picklers, gluemakers, and others, for mixing or cooling wort, holding water, hot glue, etc.
2. A ferryboat.

Translations

Czech

Alternative forms

• bek

Etymology

Borrowed from English back.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [?b?k]
• Rhymes: -?k
• Homophone: beg

Noun

back m anim

1. (sports, obsolete) back

Declension

Synonyms

• obránce
• zadák

Antonyms

• úto?ník
• forward

Noun

back m inan

1. (sports, rare) defense

Declension

Synonyms

• obrana

Antonyms

• útok

Further reading

• back in P?íru?ní slovník jazyka ?eského, 1935–1957
• back in Slovník spisovného jazyka ?eského, 1960–1971, 1989

French

Etymology

From English back

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bak/
• Homophone: bac

Adverb

back

1. (Louisiana, Cajun French, Acadian) back

   Dis trois je vous salue Marie, et je veux point te voir icitte back à voler du plywood. — “Say three hail Maries, and I don't want to see you back here stealing plywood.”

German

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bak/
• Rhymes: -ak

Verb

back

1. singular imperative of backen
2. (colloquial) first-person singular present of backen

Middle English

Noun

back

1. Alternative form of bak (“back”)

Swedish

Etymology

From English back

Pronunciation

Noun

back c

1. crate; storage of bottles
2. back; position behind most players on the team
3. reverse; car gear

Declension

English

Etymology

From Middle English serven, from Middle French servir, from Old French, from Latin servi? (“be a slave; serve”), from Latin servus (“slave; servant”), which perhaps derives from Etruscan (compare Etruscan proper names ???????????????????? (servi), ???????????????????? (serve)).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /s??v/
• (US) IPA^(key): /s?v/
• Rhymes: -??(?)v

Noun

serve (plural serves)

1. (sports) An act of putting the ball or shuttlecock in play in various games.

   Whose serve is it?

   • 1961 January 13, Marshall Smith, From Waif to a Winner, the Clown of the Courts, Life, page 99,

     He had no power serve of his own, no backhand, no volley, no lob, no idea of pace or tactics.

   • 1996, Steve Boga, Badminton, page viii,

     The first serve of the game is from the right half court to the half diagonally opposite.

   • 2009, Mihnea Moldoveanu, Roger L. Martin, Diaminds: Decoding the Mental Habits of Successful Thinkers, page 31,

     Against a serve of the calibre of McEnroe?s, an opponent will try to anticipate the ball?s direction and lean either to the left or to the right, depending on where he feels the server will go.

2. (chiefly Australia) A portion of food or drink, a serving.
   • 2004, Susanna Holt, Fitness Food: The Essential Guide to Eating Well and Performing Better, Murdoch Books Australia, page 23,

     The night before your event, base your evening meal on high-carbohydrate foods with a small serve of lean protein.

   • 2007, Verity Campbell, Turkey, Lonely Planet, page 142,

     Come here for a cappuccino that could hold its own on Via Veneto in Rome (€2) and a serve of their crunchy fresh cheese börek.

   • 2008, Michael E. Cichorski, Maximum Asthma Control: The Revolutionary 3-Step Anti Asthma Program, page 100,

     Reintroduce protein; add a small serve of salmon, tuna or sardines every second day (tinned variety or fresh).

   • 2011, Great Britain Parliament House of Commons Health Committee, Alcohol: First Report of Session 2009-10, Volume 2, page 189,

     Smirnoff Appleback was a finished drink, comprising a 50ml serve of Smirnoff, with ice and lemonade or ginger ale and equating to 1.9 units.

   • 2012, Lesley Campbell, Alan L. Rubin, Type 2 Diabetes For Dummies, Australian Edition, page 117,

     One serve of carbohydrates is approximately equal to a slice of bread, a piece of fruit, third of a cup of cooked rice, half a cup of grains, cereals, starchy vegetables or cooked pasta, 200 grams of plain yoghurt, or 300 millilitres of milk.

3. (gay slang and African-American Vernacular) An impressive presentation (especially of a person's appearance).

   That white eyeliner is such a serve.

Synonyms

• (act of putting the ball or shuttlecock in play): service
• (portion of food): See serving

Antonyms

• (sports: act of putting the ball or shuttlecock in play): receive

Translations

Verb

serve (third-person singular simple present serves, present participle serving, simple past and past participle served)

1. (personal) To provide a service (or, by extension, a product, especially food or drink).
   1. (transitive) To be a formal servant for (a god or deity); to worship in an official capacity. [from 12^thc.]
      • 1889, Philip Schaff, translating St. Chrysostom, Homilies, XIV:

        And yet this is not the office of a Priest, but of Him whom the Priest should serve.

   2. (transitive) To be a servant for; to work for, to be employed by. [from 13^thc.]
      • 1716, Joseph Addison, The Drummer

        And, truly, Mrs Abigail, I must needs say, I served my master contentedly while he was living, but I will serve no man living (that is, no man that is not living) without double wages.

      • 1979, Bob Dylan, Gotta Serve Somebody:

        You may be a businessman or some high-degree thief, / They may call you Doctor or they may call you Chief / But you're gonna have to serve somebody.

   3. (transitive) To wait upon (someone) at table; to set food and drink in front of, to help (someone) to food, meals etc. [from 13^thc.]
      • 2007, Larry McMurty, When the Light Goes

        That night Annie served him grilled halibut and English peas, plus tomatoes, of course, and a salad.

   4. (intransitive) To be a servant or worker; to perform the duties of a servant or employee; to render service. [from 14^thc.]
      • 1673, John Milton, On His Blindness:

        They also serve who only stand and wait.

   5. (transitive) To set down (food or drink) on the table to be eaten; to bring (food, drink) to a person. [from 15^thc.]
      • 2009, Dominic A Pacyga, Chicago: A Biography, p.195:

        About twenty minutes after waiters served the soup, a guest got up and left.

2. (transitive, archaic) To treat (someone) in a given manner. [from 13^thc.]
   • 1924, H. Rider Haggard, Belshazzar

     I mock them all who have served me ill of late and chiefly this cheat of Judah, whose temple we have plundered and whose golden vessels are my wash-pots.

3. (transitive, archaic) To be suitor to; to be the lover of. [from 14^thc.]
4. To be effective.
   1. (transitive) To be useful to; to meet the needs of. [from 14^thc.]
      • 2010 October 12, Lloyd Marcus, The Guardian

        So, while the sycophantic liberal media calls any and all opposition to Obama racist, they give Obama carte blanche to exploit his race whenever it serves his purpose.

   2. (intransitive) To have a given use or purpose; to function for something or to do something. [from 14^thc.]
      • 2011 January 27, "Borgata bust", The Economist

        The bust also served to remind the public that the Mafia is not harmless.
   3. (intransitive) To usefully take the place as, instead of something else. [from 14^thc.]
      • 2010 April 20, "Not up in the air", The Economist

        Maybe the volcanic eruption will serve as a wake-up call to such companies that they need to modernise their risk management.

5. (transitive, law) To deliver a document.
   1. To officially deliver (a legal notice, summons etc.). [from 15^thc.]
      • 2008 April, Pamela Colloff, The Fire That Time, Texas Monthly; Austin: Emmis Publishing, p.158:

        On the morning of February 28, 1993, ATF agents gathered at a staging area near Waco and prepared to serve a search warrant on the Branch Davidians' residence.

   2. To make legal service upon (a person named in a writ, summons, etc.)

6. (transitive, intransitive, sports) To lead off with the first delivery over the net in tennis, volleyball, ping pong, badminton etc. [from 16^thc.]
   • 2007, Rob Antoun, Women's Tennis Tactics, p.2:

     In women's tennis the need to serve more effectively has become greater in recent years because the game is being played more aggressively, and rallies are becoming shorter as a result.

7. (transitive) To copulate with (of male animals); to cover. [from 16^thc.]
   • 1996, Puck Bonnier et al., Dairy Cattle Husbandry, Agromisa Foundation 2004

     Conception means that a cow is served by a bull and that she becomes pregnant.

8. (intransitive) To be in military service. [from 16^thc.]
   • 2007 May 16, Peter Walker, The Guardian

     Some reports suggested he would quit the army if he was not allowed to serve abroad in a war zone.

9. (transitive, military) To work, to operate (a weapon). [from 18^thc.]
   • 1864, Horace Greeley, The American Conflict

     John T. Greble, of the 2d regular artillery, was likewise killed instantly by a ball through the head, while serving his gun in the face of the foe.

10. (transitive) To work through (a given period of time in prison, a sentence). [from 19^thc.]
    • 2010 December 1, Tania Branigan, The Guardian

      The Guangzhou Daily reported that Shi Chunlong, 20, who organised the incident, was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Hou Bin, who pulled out of the attack after helping to plan it, will serve 12 years.

11. (nautical) To wind spun yarn etc. tightly around (a rope or cable, etc.) so as to protect it from chafing or from the weather.
12. (transitive) To perform (a public obligation).

    I've received a summons for jury duty. It says I serve one day or one trial.

    She served the office of mayor five years ago.

13. (transitive, intransitive, slang, drugs) To provide crack cocaine (to), usually by selling, dealing, or distributing.
14. (gay slang and African-American Vernacular) To present an attractive personal appearance.
    1. (intransitive) To present an attractive personal appearance.
    2. (transitive) To attractively display something (especially a body part) as part of one's personal appearance.
    3. (transitive) To evoke something (especially a person) with one's personal appearance.

Synonyms

• (to be a servant to): attend, bestand, wait on; See also Thesaurus:serve

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Descendants

• Thai: ?????? (s???p)

References

Anagrams

• 'verse, -verse, reves, sever, veers, verse

Czech

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [?s?rv?]

Verb

serve

1. third-person singular future of servat

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /s??v/

Verb

serve

1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive of servir

Anagrams

• resve, rêves, rêvés, verse, versé

Italian

Etymology 1

See the etymology of the main entry.

Adjective

serve

1. feminine plural of servo

Noun

serve f pl

1. plural of serva

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the main entry.

Verb

serve

1. third-person singular present indicative of servire

Latin

Noun

serve m

1. vocative singular of servus

Norwegian Nynorsk

Alternative forms

• (noun): sørv
• (verb): serva (a infinitive); sørva, sørve

Etymology

Borrowed from English serve. Doublet of servere. Both are ultimately from Latin servi?.

Verb

serve (present tense servar, past tense serva, past participle serva, passive infinitive servast, present participle servande, imperative serv)

1. (transitive, intransitive, sports) to serve (To lead off with the first delivery over the net in tennis, volleyball, ping pong, badminton etc.)

Noun

serve m (definite singular serven, indefinite plural servar, definite plural servane)

1. (sports) a serve

References

• “serve” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Anagrams

• verse

Portuguese

Verb

serve

1. third-person singular (ele and ela, also used with você and others) present indicative of servir
2. second-person singular (tu, sometimes used with você) affirmative imperative of servir

Swedish

Etymology

Borrowed from English serve.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?s?rv/

Noun

serve c

1. (sports) serve

Declension

Related terms

• serva (“to serve”)