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.
The 90-minute feature about the Scottish island group starts in one summer evening in 1994 when a masked man walks calmly into the only Indian restaurant in the remote islands and shoots a waiter dead before disappearing into the night. Max Goldbart, Deadline, 6 June 2025 The members of my party have the gall to request several of these demonic items from the livid waiter. Caity Weaver, The Atlantic, 5 June 2025 His identification with his identity as a waiter provides a refuge from the overwhelming terror of existential freedom. Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 25 May 2025 Why should a waiter who earns $100,000 per year in a high-end restaurant pay less tax than a school teacher or firefighter who makes the same? Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 25 May 2025 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

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Cite this Entry

“Waiter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/waiter. Accessed 15 Jun. 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
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