waiter

American  

[wey-ter] / ˈweɪ tər /

noun

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

• waiterless
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of waiter

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

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

Mougins, the waiter said, was a home for poets and artists that had endured for centuries.

From Salon • May 22, 2026

On restaurant outings I have pulled up a scene from the cinematic gem “Hoosiers” and gotten choked up while my kids prayed I wouldn’t still be blubbering when the waiter came.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026

Bah, oui!—you probably will run into a mean waiter at some point.

From Barron's • Mar. 8, 2026

Storrie discussed growing up in Texas, working as a waiter before he was cast in the series, and how little time he had to prepare to play a Russian hockey player for the show.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 1, 2026

The waiter, dressed as a cowboy, brought us the menu.

From "Breaking Through" by Francisco Jiménez

Related Words

• server
• waitperson
• waitress