serving

Etymology

By surface analysis, serve +‎ -ing.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈsɜːvɪŋ/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈsɝvɪŋ/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)vɪŋ

Noun

serving (countable and uncountable, plural servings)

1. (uncountable, gerund) The act or process of serving.
2. (countable) An instance of that act or process.
3. (countable) The quantity of food or drink intended for one person in a single sitting; especially in relation to a meal.

   Synonym: helping

4. (countable, by extension) A fraction or share.
   • 1990, Wayne Jancik, The Billboard Book of One-Hit Wonders, →ISBN, page 154:

     Very few Latino rock and roll bands, in the days before Santana, managed to successfully steal even a slight serving of the nation's auditory attention.

5. (countable) A layer added to the outside of an electrical cable to protect it.

   Coordinate terms: insulation, sheath, sheathing

Verb

serving

1. present participle and gerund of serve

Anagrams

• Ervings, versing