to serve up
34
1.4
- phrasal verb
- /sɜrv ʌp/
:
servir
- They're serving up some pretty fancy champagne.
This one is, is, is, is serving up tea from a teacher.
- This one is, is, is, is serving up tea from a teacher.
- And they can be served up in different ways.
- I don't know whether he'll still be serving up food.
- At this point, the Taco truck, the people are cleaning it and getting it ready to start serving up breakfast and lunch, right?
- You know, she's, she's part of the cobble that serves up that stuff on the menu that, you know, some people find appetizing.
Examples
-
The chef decided to serve up a new dessert that surprised all the guests at the restaurant.
-
Imagine some good looking lady standing in there serving you up some cold ice beer.
-
This one is, is, is, is serving up tea from a teacher.
-
They'll be serving food up soon.
-
To Katie and me, he said, "Why don't you two serve up our supper?"
Fiction book (1994) -
Smells good, nothing left to do but serve it up to our very special judge and see who wears the calzone crown.
-
The vendor is serving up juicy hot dogs, and Bob watches longingly.
Fiction book (1991) -
Dandong has a sizable population of ethnic Koreans who serve up the most authentic Korean food.
Blog text (13) -
During the party, we will serve up a variety of delicious dishes for everyone to enjoy.
-
At the picnic, they will serve up cold drinks to keep everyone refreshed on the hot day.
Synonyms
869
1.0
To give food or drink to someone, usually during a meal
95
3.1
Provide food and drinks at an event, usually as a paid service
38
2.5
To serve food to people
28
3.4
To give out things to several people, often food or advice
3
2.2
To serve food onto plates for people to eat
Antonyms
How Served
Surface Forms
Morphology
The core verb 'serve' already means to present food or drink, and the particle 'up' here only adds a sense of completion or presentation rather than an unpredictable idiomatic meaning. A B1 learner who knows 'serve' and the basic use of 'up' as a particle would readily infer 'serve up' means to provide or present food, so the expression is compositional and transparent.
Etymology
Serve up comes from the image of a waiter carrying a plate up to someone at a table; serve means to give food and up shows moving it toward the guest. That's why it now means 'to provide or present' food or anything offered.