serving

serving — adjective

1. currently working in a professional role within the military, the police, or ano

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

currently working in a professional role within the military, the police, or another uniformed public-service organisation.

Example

Colonel Asher is a serving officer who has spent over twenty years in the Singapore military.

serving + [military rank/role]

A retired general spoke to a group of serving soldiers at the military base.

Common collocations
  • serving officer
  • serving soldier
  • serving police officer
  • serving member
  • serving personnel
Synonyms
  • active

    broader; can describe military personnel on duty as well as general engagement

  • current

    neutral; works for any job without the military connotation

  • incumbent

    formal; only for elected or appointed officials

Antonyms
  • former

    the opposite — no longer in the role

  • retired

    specific to those who have left a career, especially the military

Grammar Patterns

serving + [role noun]

serving + [military/police rank]

Usage Note

Only used before a noun (attributive position). Typically refers to military, police, fire, and other uniformed public-service roles. Not used for ordinary civilian jobs: 'a serving doctor' is uncommon; 'a practising doctor' is preferred.

Common Mistakes

My uncle is a serving teacher.
My uncle is a practising teacher.
'serving' is only used for uniformed or official public-service roles, not civilian professions.

2. designed or used for presenting, holding, and offering food during a meal, so th

2.adjectiveB1
Definition

designed or used for presenting, holding, and offering food during a meal, so that people can take what they want.

Example

Eleni carried the roast chicken to the table on a large serving platter.

serving platter (common collocation)

Theo picked up a clean serving bowl from the shelf and filled it with salad.

serving bowl

Common collocations
  • serving dish
  • serving bowl
  • serving platter
  • serving spoon
  • serving fork
  • serving tray
  • serving plate
Synonyms
  • salad

    specific; 'salad bowl' names a type of bowl, while 'serving bowl' names its function

  • dinner

    broader; 'dinner plate' is for eating off of, while 'serving plate' is for presenting food

Grammar Patterns

serving + [dish/bowl/platter/spoon/tray]

Usage Note

Always used before a noun that names a container or utensil (dish, bowl, platter, spoon, fork, tray, plate). Cannot be used predicatively: 'This dish is serving' is incorrect. The adjective is describing the purpose of the object, not a state.

Common Mistakes

This bowl is serving.
This is a serving bowl.
'serving' must come directly before the noun; it cannot follow a linking verb.

serving — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All three words refer to an amount of food given to one person, but their tone and typical context differ. 'Serving' is the most neutral and widely used — it appears on nutrition labels, in restaurant descriptions, and in cookbooks. 'Portion' is more precise and often implies a standardised or measured quantity: a 'portion of chips' on a menu has a set weight or size. 'Portion control' is common in health and dieting contexts. 'Helping' is casual and warm — it suggests a home-cooked meal where someone dishes out food generously. 'A second helping' is a fixed phrase meaning more food after finishing the first plate. When writing a formal recipe, use 'serving'; when talking about a family dinner, 'helping' sounds more natural; when discussing nutrition, choose 'portion'.

serving ↗portion ↗helping

Common collocations

Nouns

  • serving size
  • serving suggestion
  • serving temperature
  • serving dish
  • serving bowl
  • serving platter
  • serving spoon

Phrases

  • first serving
  • second serving
  • generous serving
  • single serving
  • per serving

Prepositions

  • serving of
  • into servings
  • per serving

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

'Serving' developed from the verb 'serve', which entered English through Old French 'servir', from Latin 'servire' meaning 'to be a servant or slave'. The noun sense of 'a portion of food for one person' appeared in the 1700s — originally in the context of formal meals where servants 'served' each diner their share. The adjective sense 'currently holding a position' dates from the 1600s, while the use in 'serving dish' (a dish for presenting food at the table) emerged in the 1800s as dining customs formalised.