wait on

British  

verb

1. to serve at the table of

2. to act as an attendant or servant to

3. archaic to visit

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interjection

1. stop! hold on!

wait on Idioms  

1. Also, wait upon . Serve, minister to, especially for personal needs or in a store or restaurant. For example, Guests at the Inn should not expect to be waited on—they can make their own beds and get their own breakfast . [Early 1500s]

2. Make a formal call on, as in They waited on the ambassador . [c. 1500]

3. Also, wait upon . Await, remain in readiness for, as in We're waiting on their decision to close the school . This usage, a synonym of wait for , dates from the late 1600s but in the mid-1800s began to be criticized by many authorities. However, by the late 1900s it had come into increasingly wider use and is again largely accepted.

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Example Sentences

She had been waiting on that final examination to make her ruling.

From Los Angeles Times

Volunteers with the local tourism board waited on the platform, guiding passengers to the town’s shops, restaurants and hotels.

From The Wall Street Journal

We cannot just wait on anyone, especially not celebrities, to change institutions without some people power to back them up.

From Los Angeles Times

I knew a peach pie was waiting on the windowsill.

From Literature

The Rams are waiting on a decision by Stafford, a finalist for the NFL most valuable player award that will be announced Thursday.

From Los Angeles Times