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

He has broken stories that included the existence and location of Hillary Clinton’s private email server, a U.S.-backed "Cuban Twitter" program and standardized test cheating in the nation's capital.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 15, 2026

The investigation found that by late 2024, the smaller private server had been created by Phelan, Dyer, Rob and Mads.

From BBC • Jun. 13, 2026

“What creates those paths once you leave the server rack is light.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026

Analysts project Intel’s server CPU sales to exceed $40 billion by 2030, and its foundry business is gaining traction.

From Barron's • Jun. 11, 2026

“This is a server room. It needs to be sterile. A piece of yarn, a thread, a hair—all of those endanger the computers. So they get sucked up instantly.”

From "The School for Whatnots" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Related Words

• flight attendant
• hostess
• stewardess
• waiter
• waitress