waiter

Meaning

Noun

1. A male or female attendant who serves customers at their tables in a restaurant, café or similar.
2. Someone who waits for somebody or something; a person who is waiting.
3. (historical) A person working as an attendant at the London Stock Exchange.
4. (obsolete) A vessel or tray on which something is carried, as dishes, etc.; a salver. (See etymology of dumbwaiter.)
5. (obsolete) A custom house officer; a tide waiter.
6. (obsolete) A watchman.

Verb

To work as a waiter.

Synonyms

waitress

server

salver

tray

attendant

steward

servant

disk

footboy

garcon

houseboy

man-servant

office boy

page

potboy

potman

puck

shop assistant

one wbo serves food

weighter

hash-slinger

waitperson

assistant

serwer

barmaid

barman

bellboy

chamberlain

disc

discus

Translations

Kellner

cameriere

camarero

garçon

👦

serveur

kelner

Ober

σερβιτόρος

garçom

cambrer

garson

ober

mesero

النادل

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈweɪtə/

Etymology

From late 14th century Middle English waiter, wayter (“attendant, watchman”). By surface analysis, wait + -er. Sense of "servant who waits at tables" is from late 15th century, originally in reference to household servants; in reference to inns, eating houses, etc., it is attested from 1660s. Feminine form waitress first recorded 1834.
The London Stock Exchange sense harks back to the early days of trading in coffee-shops.