waiter

noun

wait·​er ˈwā-tər How to pronounce waiter (audio)
1
: one that waits on another
especially : a person who waits tables (as in a restaurant)
2
: a tray on which something (such as a tea service) is carried : salver

Examples of waiter in a Sentence

waiters at that elegant restaurant must go through an extended training program before being allowed to serve customers
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
As a boy, Ben Shapiro spent week nights at Miceli’s, an Italian joint near Universal Studios famous for its greasy pizzas and singing waiters. Seth Abramovitch, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Jan. 2025 Here are a few common items that brides might not consider ahead of time: beauty treatments, bachelorette party, night-before hotel room, vendor meals (food for your waiters, your planner, et cetera), and overtime costs. Virginia Van Zanten, Vogue, 9 Jan. 2025 The hotel employee, Ezequiel Pereyra, and the waiter, Braian Paiz, were both arrested in November, per Buenos Aires’s La Nación and Rolling Stone. Justin Curto, Vulture, 3 Jan. 2025 From 2003 to 2017, Mr. Trump’s companies were approved for more than 1,000 H-2 visas for jobs like cooks, housekeepers and waiters at his properties, including Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla., and the Trump National Golf Club in Jupiter, Fla., Labor Department data show. Ken Bensinger, New York Times, 29 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for waiter 

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of waiter was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near waiter

Cite this Entry

“Waiter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/waiter. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

waiter

noun
wait·​er ˈwāt-ər How to pronounce waiter (audio)
: one that waits
especially : a person who waits tables (as in a restaurant)

More from Merriam-Webster on waiter

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!