Definition of "serve out"

serve out

verb
third-person singular simple present serves out, present participle serving out, simple past and past participle served out
1. (transitive, tennis) To win a set, or by extension a match, by holding serve (winning a game as the server).
  Quotations
  She held her nerve after failing to serve out the match at the first attempt, seeing three match points slip by in a nervous service game at 6-4 5-4 and recovering from losing the tie-break to dominate the decider.
  2011 June 28, Piers Newbery, “Wimbledon 2011: Sabine Lisicki beats Marion Bartoli”, in BBC Sport‎
2. (transitive) To serve the whole of some period.
3. (transitive) To deal out or distribute.
4. (transitive, archaic) To pay back; to have one's revenge on.
  Quotations
  'Yar!' said she, 'you little meddlesome wretch, I have you now! I will serve you out for telling the salmon where I was!'
  1863, Charles Kingsley, The Water-Babies