# server

Pronunciation: US say "SUR-vur" /ˈsɝvɚ/; UK say "SUR-vuh" /ˈsɜːvə/

## Noun

1. A person who takes orders and brings food and drinks to customers in a restaurant.
   - Simple: Someone whose job is to bring food and drinks to people in a restaurant.
   - _The server recommended the daily special and took our drink orders._
   - _Two servers handled the entire dining room during the lunch rush._
2. A computer dedicated to running programs that provide services to other computers or devices.
   - Simple: A powerful computer that runs programs to give services to other computers.
   - _The website runs on a server located in a data center overseas._
   - _Administrators rebooted the server after installing the update._
3. Software that handles requests and provides services for other programs or devices, which may run on the same machine or connect to it over a network.
   - Simple: A program that gives services to other programs or devices, on one computer or across a network.
   - _Developers wrote a small server to handle login requests from the mobile app._
   - _The mail server forwards each message to the correct recipient's program._
4. The player who puts the ball into play by serving, as in tennis or volleyball.
   - Simple: In tennis or volleyball, the player who hits the ball to start the play.
   - _The server faulted twice and lost the point._
   - _A strong server can dominate a whole volleyball match._
5. An online community space where only people who have joined can talk in its channels.
   - Simple: An online space where members join to chat in different channels.
   - _He set up a server where the club could share files and chat._
   - _Moderators banned the spammer from the server within minutes._
6. A large spoon used for serving food onto plates or dishes.
   - Simple: A large spoon used to put food onto plates.
   - _He scooped the casserole onto each plate with a wide server._
   - _The servers were laid out beside each serving dish on the table._
7. A tray used for holding or carrying dishes.
   - Simple: A flat tray used for carrying plates and dishes.
   - _The waiter balanced a server stacked with dessert plates._
   - _He set the teapot down on a polished wooden server._
8. A person who assists the priest during the celebration of the Eucharist.
   - Simple: A person who helps the priest during a Christian church service.
   - _The server handed the priest the chalice during the Eucharist._
   - _Two servers walked ahead of the procession carrying lit candles._

## Origin

From Middle English servere, equivalent to serve combined with the suffix -er.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/server (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).