server

American  

[sur-ver] / ˈsɜr vər /

noun

1. a person who serves.

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

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

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

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

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

7. Computers. a computer that makes services, as access to data files, programs, and peripheral devices, available to workstations on a network.

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server British  

/ ˈsɜːvə /

noun

1. a person who serves

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

3. something that is used in serving food and drink

4. the player who serves in racket games

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

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server Scientific  

/ sûr′vər /

1. 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.

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server Cultural  

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

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Etymology

Origin of server

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; serve + -er ¹ ( def. )

Explanation

You can refer to the person who delivers your food in a restaurant as a server. Be sure to leave your server a generous tip! The term server has become a very common synonym for "waiter" or "waitress." It's preferable to talk about the friendly server who takes your order, since the word isn't specific to their gender but works for anyone who serves food. Another meaning of server is the computer hardware in a network of linked computers that allows those devices to work properly.

Example Sentences

“Arm stands out in server CPUs given its unparalleled power efficiency,” Dai said in a Monday note.

From MarketWatch • May 18, 2026

Arm is destined to play a starring role in the market for server CPUs, which could quadruple to $137 billion by the end of the decade, according to Bernstein.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026

SpaceX, Blue Origin and others aim to develop orbital server farms that will run AI computing systems, bypassing Earth’s power and land limitations.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026

These trends should support demand for HPE’s AI servers and systems, offsetting higher component costs in its traditional server business, Citi says.

From Barron's • May 14, 2026

Their matronly server was unfazed both by their getups and the attention they drew.

From "The Serpent King" by Jeff Zentner

Related Words

• flight attendant
• hostess
• stewardess
• waiter
• waitress