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

Beyond that, users should devote care to properly securing the media servers. — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 19 Oct. 2026

In one case, Claude exploited a software flaw on a university server to run commands after a scientific analysis tool stopped working. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026

Apple says the feature does not store audio, send recordings to its servers, or involve human review. — Mackenzie Sigalos,annie Palmer, CNBC, 18 Oct. 2026

In addition, games with online functionality will also be required to provide an offline mode before the servers supporting them are shut down. — Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 18 Oct. 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