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

Turns out it’s finished ahead of schedule and already shipping the servers, which will support Apple Intelligence services on consumer devices like iPhones, according to a new Fox Business report. —Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 24 Oct. 2025

Some of their statements concerned former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server for thousands of emails. —Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 23 Oct. 2025

When Jonah plugs his drive into the server, the drones immediately lock onto him. —Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Oct. 2025

Then came whispers that Netflix had put the show on its internal server, and employees couldn’t get enough of Bell and Brody’s crackling chemistry. —Lacey Rose, HollywoodReporter, 22 Oct. 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