waiter

American  

[way-ter] / ˈweɪ tər /

noun

• waiters
  plural

1. a person, especially a man, who waits on tables, as in a restaurant.

2. a tray for carrying dishes, a tea service, etc.; salver.

3. a person who waits or awaits.

4. Obsolete. an attendant.

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verb (used without object)

1. to work or serve as a waiter.

   to waiter in a restaurant.

waiter British  

/ ˈweɪtə /

noun

1. a man whose occupation is to serve at table, as in a restaurant

2. an attendant at the London Stock Exchange or Lloyd's who carries messages: the modern equivalent of waiters who performed these duties in the 17th-century London coffee houses in which these institutions originated

3. a person who waits

4. a tray or salver on which dishes, etc, are carried

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Gender

See -person.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• waiterless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• waiters
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of waiter

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at wait, -er ¹

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Explanation

The person who brings your food in a restaurant is a waiter. If you discover an insect in your gazpacho, you might call out, "Waiter! There's a fly in my soup!" These days it's more common to call the cafe worker who takes your order and delivers your nachos a server, since it's entirely gender-neutral, but some people still use waiter for a man or woman and waitress for a woman. Your grandpa might enjoy embarrassing the whole family by hollering, "Check please, waiter!" at the end of every restaurant meal. Before this word became common for restaurant servers, it was used for household servants who "waited at table."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

waiter waiters

Now the waiter asks: Do you actually want two, or would one be enough?

From Salon ● Oct. 7, 2026

To summon our waiter Steve from 10 yards away, all I had to do was cock my head in his direction.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026

A little later, the waiter and manager came to our table.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026

The guidance suggests applicants for new licences should aim for "a predominantly seated operation with fixed seating", alongside waiter service replacing vertical drinking and restrictions on customers consuming alcohol while standing.

From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026

The waiter, a red-faced boy with bitten nails, lingered for a moment.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

Lake Park Bistro — Lake Park Bistro has the kind of delightfully old-school French restaurant feel that starts at the grand entrance and continues with white tablecloths and waiters in spiffy uniforms.

From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026

These include the people welcoming attendees into stadiums, VIP lounge chefs, waiters and the flagbearers during the opening ceremony.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 2026

"We have waiters, mechanics, managers, lawyers -- people who have been able to build different lives," he told AFP.

From Barron's ● Jun. 3, 2026

However, the waiters at the bar explained that they were out of stock, he recalls.

From BBC ● Apr. 24, 2026

It takes a half hour for everyone to find their seats and another half hour for the waiters to start arriving with plates of food.

From "Legend" by Marie Lu

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Related Words

• server
• waitperson
• waitress

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