waitress

American  

[wey-tris] / ˈweɪ trɪs /

noun

1. a woman who waits on tables, as in a restaurant.

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verb (used without object)

1. to work or serve as a waitress.

   She waitressed in a restaurant to help pay her way through college.

waitress British  

/ ˈweɪtrɪs /

noun

1. a woman who serves at table, as in a restaurant

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verb

1. (intr) to act as a waitress

Gender

See -ess, -person.

Etymology

Origin of waitress

First recorded in 1580–90; wait(e)r + -ess

Example Sentences

One week before his visit, the students emailed him a list of 35 questions that largely circled around Janie Hatley, the Arlington waitress who’d dated Ortiz.

From Slate • Apr. 6, 2026

DiDonato plays the waitress Tereza, the mother of a shooting victim who unexpectedly finds herself at the wedding, serving wine to family members she met after the tragedy but who don't recognize her.

From Barron's • Apr. 5, 2026

Michelle Pfeiffer pays her mother, an ex-Hooters waitress, and Nick Offerman plays her dad, a former pro wrestler.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

She was new, different and had an interesting story as a waitress who ousted an out-of-touch machine pol.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026

The waitress came over and asked us if we wanted anything else.

From "Miracle's Boys" by Jacqueline Woodson

Related Words

• flight attendant
• hostess
• stewardess
• waiter