bartender
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of bartender
Explanation
A bartender is a person who mixes, pours, and serves drinks from behind a bar. The bartender at a bar mitzvah may spend hours putting little paper umbrellas in Shirley Temples for the young guests. If you work as a bartender, you need to know how to mix cocktails, pour wine and beer, and keep the bar tidy. Most bartenders don't make a high hourly wage, but depend on tips to make a good living. Many events, like wedding receptions and big parties, include a bartender. The word itself dates from the early 19th century, from bar, which comes from the barrier or counter over which drinks are served, and tender, or "seller."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
He frequently speaks about his humble beginnings as the son of a bartender and a hotel maid.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
“I get chills,” said Pamela Huebner, a bartender in Los Angeles.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 11, 2026
“It has an identity issue,” said a Dave & Buster’s bartender I spoke to.
From Slate ● Jun. 25, 2026
A bartender going by Andrew, who moved to New York from Ireland four years ago, said the vibe at the nearby pub where he works has been "absolutely mental" and "pandemonium."
From BBC ● Jun. 14, 2026
“It is nothing!” the bartender called from the door.
From "Bless Me, Ultima" by Rudolfo Anaya
DJs, bartenders, door people, lovers, ex-lovers, activists and friends formed networks that were not always formal but were often lifesaving.
From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026
Robot rentals are becoming available for anything from a day to years for a variety of purposes, from Moxi's hospital deliveries to robot bartenders or autonomous weeders for farms.
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
The bartenders and servers, some dressed in light-up rave gear, were trying to ratchet up excitement by passing around stickers.
From Slate ● Jun. 25, 2026
From the 1950s into the 1990s, Stokes noted in an email, Marco’s Restaurant operated in the space, with a “Roman Room” bar — “a dark and immersive hidden gem where bartenders performed sleight-of-hand magic tricks.”
From Los Angeles Times ● May 13, 2026
I think about the bartenders, and wonder what diabolical things they'll be putting into my cocktail.
From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
