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

• 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

Consider a tech firm: An AI predicts server downtime using public usage stats (open to engineers) and proprietary code metrics (viewable by executives only). —Suman Sharma, Forbes.com, 7 July 2025

Among the key takeaways from the meetings, the analyst highlighted that the AI server margins are turning out to be better than initially expected, with Dell earning a premium compared to rivals while delivering impressive growth. —Tipranks.com Staff, CNBC, 6 July 2025

Employees at data centers typically work in offices to monitor the components but enter the server halls when a piece of technology fails, Bilyeu said. —Claudia Levens, jsonline.com, 3 July 2025

Eight percent of the reports are about a server connection. —Cheryl V. Jackson, IndyStar, 2 July 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