waiter
WAY-tuh
Waiter (noun) means a person who serves customers at their tables in a restaurant or café. Example: “The waiter recommended the fish special.”
noun
1
A person who serves customers at their tables in a restaurant or café.
"The waiter recommended the fish special."
"The waiter carried four plates at once without spilling anything."
"We asked the waiter for the bill and a jug of water."
"Waiter! There's a fly in my soup."
How to use waiter
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSomeone whose job is serving food and drinks to customers at a table.
UK vs US
Increasingly, "server" is used as a gender-neutral alternative to "waiter"/"waitress" in both UK and US English.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
head waiter
call the waiter
tip the waiter
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Word forms
- Plural
- waiters
- Third person singular
- waiters
- Past tense
- waitered
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The _____ recommended the fish special.
Etymology
From Middle English "wayter" (attendant, watchman) — a straightforward pairing of "wait" plus the agent suffix "-er".
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Rhymes for waiter
liter
biter
writer
loiter
Jupiter
arbiter
orbiter
Lassiter
typewriter
songwriter
screenwriter
scriptwriter
See all rhymes for waiter →
Frequently asked questions
What does “waiter” mean?
The word “waiter” means a person who serves customers at their tables in a restaurant or café. In plain terms, someone whose job is serving food and drinks to customers at a table.
How do you pronounce “waiter”?
“Waiter” is pronounced WAY-tuh (/ˈweɪ̯təː/ in IPA).
How do you use “waiter” in a sentence?
Here is “waiter” used in a sentence: “The waiter recommended the fish special.”
What part of speech is “waiter”?
“Waiter” is a noun.
Where does the word “waiter” come from?
The word “waiter” comes from Middle English. From Middle English "wayter" (attendant, watchman) — a straightforward pairing of "wait" plus the agent suffix "-er".
Is “waiter” a common word?
“Waiter” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
What is the difference between a waiter and a server?
Waiter traditionally refers specifically to a man who serves customers at their tables in a restaurant, while server is a gender-neutral term used for anyone doing this job. Many restaurants and job listings now favor "server" to avoid specifying gender.
Is waiter used the same way in British and American English?
Yes, waiter is used in both British and American English to describe a man serving customers at tables, though many workplaces increasingly use gender-neutral terms like server regardless of dialect. The core meaning of the job itself does not differ between the two varieties of English.
What is the difference between a waiter and a waitress?
Waiter traditionally refers to a man in this role, while waitress refers specifically to a woman doing the same job of serving customers at their tables. Both terms describe identical duties, differing only in the gender they specify.
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