server

American  

[sur-ver] / ˈsɜr vər /

noun

• servers
  plural

1. a person who serves.

2. a person who waits on tables; a waiter or waitress.

3. something that serves or is used in serving, as a salver.

4. a broad fork, spoon, or spatula for dishing out and serving individual portions of food, as vegetables, cake, or pie.

5. Also called altar server.  Ecclesiastical. an attendant on the priest at Mass, who arranges the altar, makes the responses, etc.

6. (in tennis, badminton, handball, etc.) the player who puts the ball or shuttlecock in play.

7. Computers. a computer that makes services, as access to data files, programs, and peripheral devices, available to workstations on a network.

---

server British  

/ ˈsɜːvə /

noun

1. a person who serves

2. RC Church a person who acts as acolyte or assists the priest at Mass

3. something that is used in serving food and drink

4. the player who serves in racket games

5. computing a computer or program that supplies data or resources to other machines on a network

---

server Scientific  

/ sûr′vər /

1. A computer that manages centralized data storage or network communications resources. A server provides and organizes access to these resources for other computers linked to it.

---

server Cultural  

1. Computer or software that performs administration or coordination functions within a network.

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• servers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of server

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; serve + -er ¹ ( def. )

Explanation

You can refer to the person who delivers your food in a restaurant as a server. Be sure to leave your server a generous tip! The term server has become a very common synonym for "waiter" or "waitress." It's preferable to talk about the friendly server who takes your order, since the word isn't specific to their gender but works for anyone who serves food. Another meaning of server is the computer hardware in a network of linked computers that allows those devices to work properly.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

server servers

It announced that revenue in its AI server business doubled year-on-year to $16.4 billion after the unit booked $60.9 billion in orders.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 2, 2026

“We are in the midst of a traditional server refresh cycle, despite significantly higher prices,” Morgan Stanley put as its third factor.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 2, 2026

Stanley Black & Decker's DeWalt brand and August Robotics have created a robot that drills thousands of holes to anchor server racks and other systems to the floor.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026

The tech giant said Tuesday its AI server business booked $60.9 billion in orders in the July quarter and saw $16.4 billion in revenue — up 100% from a year ago.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 1, 2026

We all express thanks to our server, who offers a courteous nod before she departs.

From "The Sea in Winter" by Christine Day

The firm specializes in copper cables used to connect AI servers to networking switches.

From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026

And finally, the analysts said demand staying inelastic for traditional servers has allowed for more margin capture.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 2, 2026

The company also makes AI-optimized servers which support AI chips such as Nvidia’s graphics processing units.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 31, 2026

Tips make up a significant portion of the income for millions of servers, housekeepers, taxi drivers, and hairstylists across the United States.

From Barron's ● Aug. 29, 2026

Doc took to the servers like someone trying to slay a dragon.

From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste

Related Words

• flight attendant
• hostess
• stewardess
• waiter
• waitress