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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
At the cafés and restaurants, the waiters knew enough to seat him by himself. Greg Jackson, The New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2024 Trump has promised mass deportations of undocumented immigrations to extend his 2017 tax cuts and slash taxes for many specific groups of Americans, ranging from waiters and police officers to Americans living abroad and caregivers. William Gavin, Quartz, 30 Oct. 2024 In the ongoing suit, the restaurant and chocolate shop are accused of stealing waiters’ tips to pay for business expenses. Erica Cheng, Chron, 10 Oct. 2024 My waiter was always glad to bring one, conveniently in a bag, to nibble on for the rest of the day. Charlie Hobbs, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for waiter 

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 16 Nov. 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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!