proxy server

American  

[prok-see sur-ver] / ˈprɒk si ˌsɜr vər /

noun

Computers.

1. a server that receives requests, filters them, and forwards them to a network on behalf of another computer or network which it represents under a surrogate IP address: used to provide anonymity or increased security or to carry out intermediate processing.

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proxy server British  

noun

1. computing a computer that acts as an intermediary between a client machine and a server, caching information to save access time

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Etymology

Origin of proxy server

First recorded in 1985–90

Example Sentences

Typically, a proxy server is configured per application, whereas a VPN applies to your entire connection, regardless of the app used.

From Salon • Nov. 26, 2025

Now, once users pointed Sci-Hub toward an article, the site would check every university proxy server until it found one through which it could download the paper, and would download it automatically.

From The Verge • Feb. 8, 2018

When a search results in “can’t be displayed,” it could be ad-blockers, a proxy server setting, or something else, writes Patrick Marshall.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 29, 2016

The 20-year-old from Nottingham is believed to have been running a proxy server that connected to addresses banned by service providers in the UK.

From BBC • Aug. 7, 2014

Rather than directly accessing the original Web page in its original language, users can instead indirectly access the page via a proxy server offering translation features.

From Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) Ruling by United States District Court For The Eastern District Of Pennsylvania