server

[ sur-ver ]

/ ˈsɜr vər /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR server ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a person who serves.

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

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

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

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

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

a computer that makes services, as access to data files, programs, and peripheral devices, available to workstations on a network.Compare client(def 5), file server.

Nearby words

serve, serve a purpose, serve one right, serve time, serve up, server, servery, servetus, servia, servian, service

Origin of server

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at serve, -er¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for server

“Many chains have nutrition info on their menu, Web site or available from your server if you ask,” says Dubost.
The Truth About Salt: Should You Shake the Habit?|DailyBurn|May 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Then the server would respond by echoing, “Got it, the secret word is 'Mendax'.”
How to Mitigate the Damage of the Heartbleed Security Hole|Joshua Kopstein|April 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“This machine is a server, do not power it down,” the message reads.
World Wide Web Turns 25|Nico Hines|March 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In this clip, she is infuriated over a server touching her wine glass with her thumb, and gives her a piece of her mind.
Lucille Bluth’s Best Mothering Moments in ‘Arrested Development’ (VIDEO)|Jean Trinh|May 12, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Of course, I was on the server side, not the development side.
Will Obamacare's Exchanges Be Ready on Time?|Megan McArdle|March 27, 2013|DAILY BEAST
When the order were in the field a server regulated the supply and distribution of provisions.
Secret Societies of the Middle Ages|Thomas Keightley
During their week of service, if there were two Masses, one server went to the first, the other to the second.
English Monastic Life|Abbot Gasquet
Should a server fail in this, the ball must be handed to the opposite side, which then has a trial.
Games for the Playground, Home, School and Gymnasium|Jessie H. Bancroft
And if it took this form for the others, which would it take for May Server?
The Sacred Fount|Henry James
If it hits such a player and does not bounce into the opponents' court, the server is out, losing his second trial.
Games for the Playground, Home, School and Gymnasium|Jessie H. Bancroft

British Dictionary definitions for server

server

/ (ˈsɜːvə) /

noun

a person who serves

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

something that is used in serving food and drink

the player who serves in racket games

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Science definitions for server

server

[ sûr′vər ]

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.

Culture definitions for server

server

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