SERVER Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com (original) (raw)

noun

1. a person who serves.
2. a person who waits on tables; a waiter or waitress.
3. something that serves or is used in serving, as a salver.
4. a broad fork, spoon, or spatula for dishing out and serving individual portions of food, as vegetables, cake, or pie.
5. Also called altar server. Ecclesiastical. an attendant on the priest at Mass, who arranges the altar, makes the responses, etc.
6. (in tennis, badminton, handball, etc.) the player who puts the ball or shuttlecock in play.
7. Computers. a computer that makes services, as access to data files, programs, and peripheral devices, available to workstations on a network.

server British

/ ˈsɜːvə /

noun

1. a person who serves
2. RC Church a person who acts as acolyte or assists the priest at Mass
3. something that is used in serving food and drink
4. the player who serves in racket games
5. computing a computer or program that supplies data or resources to other machines on a network

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

server Scientific

/ sûr′vər /

1. A computer that manages centralized data storage or network communications resources. A server provides and organizes access to these resources for other computers linked to it.

1. Computer or software that performs administration or coordination functions within a network.

Etymology

Origin of server

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; serve + -er 1 ( def. )

Explanation

You can refer to the person who delivers your food in a restaurant as a server. Be sure to leave your server a generous tip! The term server has become a very common synonym for "waiter" or "waitress." It's preferable to talk about the friendly server who takes your order, since the word isn't specific to their gender but works for anyone who serves food. Another meaning of server is the computer hardware in a network of linked computers that allows those devices to work properly.

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Vocabulary lists containing server

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

SpaceX, Blue Origin and others aim to develop orbital server farms that will run AI computing systems, bypassing Earth’s power and land limitations.

FromThe Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026

Melwani also said that new AI tools and products, like the company’s new Model Context Protocol server, which allows AI agents to interact with data sources, have been converting customers up to paid subscriptions.

FromMarketWatch • May 14, 2026

Arcuri estimates the total addressable market for server CPUs is set to grow from around 30billionin2025to30 billion in 2025 to 30billionin2025to170 billion in 2030, driven by the need for the processors in AI workloads.

FromBarron's • May 14, 2026

Foxconn Technology Group reported robust first-quarter revenue and profit as it ramped up production of server racks, other advanced equipment and consumer devices for the global artificial-intelligence build-out.

FromThe Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026

"Try updating a Linux server sometime," Jack said.

From"The Martian" by Andy Weir

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.