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 of server

• waiter
• waitress

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

Memory has become one of the biggest constraints and costs across consumer electronics and AI servers. — Mackenzie Sigalos, CNBC, 14 July 2026

Customers pulled money out of their software and IT services budgets and threw it at buying servers, memory chips, and other hardware whose prices are about to spike due to shortages, Krishna said. — Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 14 July 2026

That server could be in a different state or a different country from you. — Chloe Albanesius, PC Magazine, 14 July 2026

Buildings covering huge expanses house thousands of constantly running computer servers. — Sydney Sasser, Arkansas Online, 14 July 2026

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