Definition

1. Noun:
   • A person who waits or awaits: A person who is waiting for something or someone.
   • A person whose occupation is to serve at table (as in a restaurant): A person employed to take customers' orders, serve food and drinks, and often handle payment in a restaurant, café, or similar establishment.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The waiter brought us the menu and took our drink order.
  • He worked as a waiter in a busy downtown restaurant to pay for his studies.
  • She was a patient waiter, standing calmly for the bus to arrive. (This uses the less common "one who waits" meaning.)

Advanced Usage

• "To be a good/bad waiter": Refers to the skill and professionalism of someone in the serving profession.
  • He is a very good waiter; he's attentive and remembers all the regulars' preferences.
• "Head waiter" or "Captain": A senior waiter who supervises other wait staff and often manages a section of the dining room.
  • Please ask the head waiter for a wine recommendation.

Variants and Related Words

• Waitress (n): A female waiter. (Note: "Server" is a common gender-neutral term.)
  • The waitress explained the daily specials.
• Waitstaff (n, collective): The group of waiters and waitresses in a restaurant.
  • The waitstaff was very efficient during the dinner rush.
• Waiting (n): The action of staying where one is or delaying action until a particular time or event.
  • The waiting is the hardest part.

Synonyms

• Server: A person who serves food and drinks. (Modern, gender-neutral)
• Attendant: A person employed to provide a service to the public, especially in a restaurant or hotel.
• Steward: A person who looks after the passengers on a ship, aircraft, or train, serving meals, etc.

Related Phrases

• "Waiter upon Providence" (archaic/idiomatic): A person who lives by their wits, taking advantage of opportunities as they arise.
  • In the old story, he was a bit of a waiter upon Providence, never holding a steady job.
• "To wait on/upon someone hand and foot": To serve someone very attentively, performing every task for them. (This phrase uses "wait" as a verb, not the noun "waiter").
  • He expected the staff to wait on him hand and foot.

Notes on Usage

• The primary modern meaning is the restaurant server. The "one who waits" meaning is now rare and often found in older or more literary texts.
• The term "waiter" is traditionally male-specific, though it is sometimes used generically. "Server" or "waitstaff" are preferred in modern contexts to avoid gender specification.

Noun

1. a person who waits or awaits
2. a person whose occupation is to serve at table (as in a restaurant)