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serving cart

serving cart

2.8
A small table with wheels for carrying and serving food and drinks
  • noun
  • /ˈsɜrvɪŋ kɑrt/
  • US
translation icon : carrito de servicio
  • After the meeting, the team gathered around the serving cart to enjoy coffee and pastries.

Examples

  • Lurch then lifts the tray onto a serving cart and rolls the cart out.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • He goes over to a coffee-serving cart sitting outside a meeting room.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • The little boy was then able to pick up pieces of dried fish from a serving cart and fill his pockets.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • "About time," Froud complained as I dived behind the dented serving cart, "I told you it was no job for a boy." Uncle Mac never said a word, just took the paper from my hand and started reading.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • In a frantic, comic moment, he pushes a small player piano around the stage while she attempts to keep a serving cart out of his reach: the sequence is to evoke "the movement of silent films" (22).

    Academic text (1994)
  • The shirts, in turn, disappeared behind the blue first-class curtain, and there were thumping sounds and the clatter of a serving cart, while a fearful gabble arose from the passengers still in their seats.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • The waiter pushed the serving cart filled with appetizers toward the guests at the party.

  • She noticed that the serving cart was decorated with fresh flowers and elegant tableware.

Synonyms

cart
vsserving cart
297 1.0

A small vehicle with wheels that you push or pull to carry things

is a compact mobile unit made to present and move food and drinks
trolley
vsserving cart
  • UK
8 1.0

A cart on wheels used for carrying shopping or luggage

is a smaller mobile surface specifically designed to serve food and drinks
tea cart
vsserving cart
1 2.7

A small cart on wheels for serving tea, coffee, or light food

is used for serving a wider range of food and drinks not only tea
tea trolley
vsserving cart
  • UK
1 3.7

A small cart on wheels used to serve tea and snacks

is for general serving use in many places not only domestic settings
pastry cart
vsserving cart
1 3.2

A small cart a waiter brings to show and serve cakes and desserts

is for serving food and drinks rather than mainly displaying pastries
teacart
vsserving cart
5.2

A small table on wheels for serving tea and light food

is a mobile trolley for serving various food and drinks beyond tea
tea wagon
vsserving cart
  • US
5.4

A small cart on wheels used to serve tea and light food

is used more broadly to serve many types of food and drink

How Mobile

trolley
  • UK
8 1.0
serving cart
  • US
2.8
tray
311 1.0
dining table
12 1.0

Surface Forms

serving cart singular
serving carts plural

Morphology

serve + cart

The noun phrase is compositionally built from 'serving' (to offer/present food or drink) modifying 'cart' (a wheeled vehicle), so the meaning 'a cart used to serve food and drinks' is directly derivable from the constituents. This purpose-modifier + noun pattern is common across languages and standard in English, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily understand the MWE.

Etymology

Serving cart comes from the simple picture of a small wheeled cart that a waiter rolls to a table for serving food and drinks. So the name now means a small movable table on wheels used 'to serve' food and drinks.