server

noun

serv·​er ˈsər-vər 

1

: one that serves food or drink

2

: the player who serves (as in tennis)

3

: something used in serving food or drink

4

: one that serves legal processes upon another

5

: the celebrant's assistant at mass

6

: a computer in a network that is used to provide services (such as access to files or shared peripherals or the routing of email) to other computers in the network

Synonyms

• garçon
• waiter
• waitperson

Examples of server in a Sentence

She asked our server for another glass of wine.

we had barely finished ordering when the server brought our salads

Recent Examples on the Web

The iPhone maker plans to build a 250,000 square foot AI server factory in Houston, Texas. —Rashi Shrivastava, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025

Much of Nvidia’s sales go to a handful of companies building massive server farms, usually to rent out to other companies. —Kif Leswing, CNBC, 25 Feb. 2025

Filled with white wine — usually pinot grigio, Ramos says — the servers lift the pitcher high and aim for the mouth. —Connie Ogle, Miami Herald, 24 Feb. 2025

The Apple servers being made in Houston could accelerate the company’s effort to build out that A.I. offering. —Meaghan Tobin, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English server, servere, from serven "to serve entry 1" + -er, -ere -er entry 2

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing server

• ad server
• altar server
• blade server

Rhymes for server

• fervor
• fervour
• observer
• preserver

Kids Definition

server

noun

serv·​er ˈsər-vər 

1

: a person who serves food or drink

2

: the player who puts a ball in play

3

: something (as a tray) used in serving food or drink

4

: a computer in a network that is used to provide services (as access to files or the delivery of email) to other computers