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# serving

noun (a serving, servings); verb, -ing form of serve (serve, serves, served, serving); adjective (serving)

«serving» in the English dictionary: everyday and in Jewish tradition — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. A serving is an amount of food for one person; a portion. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/serving/#m1)
2. Serving means giving food or drink to people, or working for someone. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/serving/#m2)
3. Serving can describe someone who is working now in an army, team or job, as in «a serving soldier». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/serving/#m3)
4. In sports like tennis, serving is hitting the ball to start a point. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/serving/#m4)

### In the lessons

In maths and cooking, a recipe «makes 6 servings» — divide or multiply ingredients by the number of servings. On food labels, «per serving» gives the calories in one portion. In everyday life waiters are serving food. Phrases: per serving, a serving of, serving dish, serving spoon, serving time (in prison).

### Examples

- This cake recipe makes 8 servings. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/serving/#x1)
- One serving of cereal is 30 g. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/serving/#x2)
- The waiter is serving the next table. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/serving/#x3)
- If one serving needs 2 eggs, 5 servings need 10 eggs. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/serving/#x4)
- She is serving for the match in tennis. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/serving/#x5)
- Grandpa was a serving soldier for many years. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/serving/#x6)
- Pass me the serving spoon, please. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/serving/#x7)
- Only his bride, who was serving as cook to her sisters, recognised her lover at once. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/serving/#x8)

### Note

As a noun it is countable: a serving, two servings. «Serving» and «portion» mean nearly the same. On food labels, per serving and per 100 g are different, a common trap. In maths, total amount = amount per serving × number of servings.

## In Jewish tradition

In maths and cooking, a recipe «makes 6 servings» — divide or multiply ingredients by the number of servings. On food labels, «per serving» gives the calories in one portion. In everyday life waiters are serving food. Phrases: per serving, a serving of, serving dish, serving spoon, serving time (in prison).

### Examples

- This is the service of the families of the Gershonites, in serving and in bearing burdens: (Torah NUM.4.24, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/serving/#x1)
- And he made the laver of brass, and the base thereof of brass, of the mirrors of the serving women that did service at the door of the tent of meeting. (Torah EXO.38.8, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/serving/#x2)
- Dalet-Tet-Lamed-Nun-Taw, with the tip of the tongue, serving with voice. (Sefer Yetzirah, Sefaria community translation) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/serving/#x3)

### Note

As a noun it is countable: a serving, two servings. «Serving» and «portion» mean nearly the same. On food labels, per serving and per 100 g are different, a common trap. In maths, total amount = amount per serving × number of servings.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «serving» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/serving/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«serving» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/serving.html) on Mova free.
- [Trees and pragmatics of «serving» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/serving/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«serving» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/serving.html) on Mova free.