to serve in the army
3
3.2
- phrasal verb
- /sɜrv ɪn ði ˈɑrmi/
:
servir en el ejército
- I won't serve in the army.
- serve in the army for three years
- men serving in the army
At times, women hide their apprehension from a family member serving in the Army, painting reassuring pictures of life on the home front.
- At times, women hide their apprehension from a family member serving in the Army, painting reassuring pictures of life on the home front.
- And a lot of my own father's family are, are, are serving in the army.
- That's why everyone who's been served in the army, when I speak to him, you can feel that fucking pain.
Examples
-
In Israel, all males between the ages of 18 and 21 serve in the army for three years.
Academic text (1992) -
She was a young beauty, and her husband was serving in the army.
Fiction book (1998) -
You know, Paul actually served in the army.
-
You would be required under French law to serve in the army.
Blog text (25) -
How are we supposed to know what it is like serving in the army?
Academic text (2002) -
During the Second World War, when I was serving in the army, I heard speeches by political commissars.
Fiction book (1993) -
"I came to Israel when I was 17 and I served in the army," Zakuto says proudly.
Blog text (30) -
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Woodrow met and married his Hawaiian bride in 1938 while serving in the army.
Academic text (2003) -
From that day, David did not return to his father's house, but remained with Saul at gibeah, where he served in the army for 10 years.
-
In Israel, all males between the ages of 18 and 21 serve in the army for three years.
Synonyms
∞
1.7
To work for someone or act in an official role, often in the military
72
4.2
To join an organization like the army or persuade someone else to join
1
3.8
To serve as a member of an army
Antonyms
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'to be a member of the armed forces' is directly and compositionally derivable from 'serve' (perform duties) combined with the locational/prepositional phrase 'in the army'. This is a common verb + preposition + noun pattern found cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents would readily infer the meaning.
Etymology
Serve in the army comes from the old idea that serve means to work for and help a leader or a country, and soldiers 'served' by giving their time and strength to protect others. That's why serve in the army means 'to be a member of the armed forces'.