waiter

noun

wait·​er ˈwā-tər How to pronounce waiter (audio)
1
: one that waits on another
especially : a person who waits tables (as in a restaurant)
2
: a tray on which something (such as a tea service) is carried : salver

Examples of waiter in a Sentence

waiters at that elegant restaurant must go through an extended training program before being allowed to serve customers
Recent Examples on the Web The former football star was infamously arrested in connection with the deaths of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and Ron Goldman, a 25-year-old waiter. Liam Quinn, Peoplemag, 11 Apr. 2024 Goldman, a waiter at Mezzaluna, was returning a pair of glasses left by someone in the family party when he was killed. Journal Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2024 All this spilled out after Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman, a waiter at Mezzaluna returning glasses Brown’s mother had left at the restaurant earlier that evening, were killed outside Brown Simpson’s Brentwood home on June 12, 1994. David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 11 Apr. 2024 Later that night, Ron Goldman, 25, a waiter at Mezzaluna, drove from the restaurant to Brown Simpson's home to return eyeglasses her mother had left at the restaurant that night. Emily Shapiro, ABC News, 11 Apr. 2024 Harry remembers going to lunch with his birth mother at the Socialist Bund when Max Pila, a waiter who recognized Rose from before the war, flirted with her and brought extra desserts to their table. Hollace Ava Weiner, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Apr. 2024 Tim Phillips, a former waiter at Baby Doe’s, brought up the old Kansas City restaurant in conversation years later. Jenna Thompson, Kansas City Star, 5 Apr. 2024 Michael Jackson, 47, a waiter in Las Vegas who was out of work for nearly a year, was furious that much of the state did not reopen more quickly. Reid J. Epstein, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2024 Many waiters work in the industry — and even at the same establishment — for decades, following a strict set of best practices. Rachel Treisman, NPR, 25 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'waiter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of waiter was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near waiter

Cite this Entry

“Waiter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/waiter. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

waiter

noun
wait·​er ˈwāt-ər How to pronounce waiter (audio)
: one that waits
especially : a person who waits tables (as in a restaurant)

More from Merriam-Webster on waiter

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