server

server — noun

1. a powerful computer connected to other machines, designed to store shared inform

1.nounB1
Definition

a powerful computer connected to other machines, designed to store shared information and provide access to files, websites, or email across the network — for example, a web server that delivers web pages to your browser.

Example

Adina checked whether the server was running before sending the email.

The company's server stores all customer data in a secure location.

collocation: server stores data

Common collocations
  • run a server
  • set up a server
  • server room
  • web server
  • file server
  • cloud server
  • server maintenance
Synonyms
  • host

    stresses the idea of hosting or running applications; 'host' is more common in cloud computing contexts

  • mainframe

    a much larger, older type of central computer; not interchangeable with modern network servers

Antonyms
  • client

    the computer or device that receives data from a server

Usage Note

Commonly modified by the function it serves: web server, file server, email server, database server. The word is also used for the software that runs on such a computer.

Common Mistakes

❌ 'My laptop is the server of my home network.' — 'My laptop acts as a server on my home network.' — A computer is not inherently a server; it can be set up to function as one.

❌ 'I need a new server computer.' — 'I need a new server.' — 'server' already implies the computer; adding 'computer' is redundant.

2. a tool such as a large spoon or fork that is used to put food onto plates when s

2.nounB1
Definition

a tool such as a large spoon or fork that is used to put food onto plates when serving a meal at the table.

Example

Amani used a small server to place slices of cake onto each plate.

collocation: cake server

The salad server has a wide, flat shape that makes it easy to lift lettuce.

Common collocations
  • cake server
  • salad server
  • pie server
  • fish server
  • wooden server
  • silver server
Synonyms
  • serving spoon

    more common in everyday speech; 'server' is slightly more formal and often used for specialised utensils

  • serving utensil

    a broader term that also includes tongs, ladles, and other serving tools

Usage Note

Often preceded by the type of food it is designed for: cake server, salad server, pie server, cheese server. Can also be called a 'serving spoon' for simpler utensils.

Common Mistakes

Pass me the server for the soup.
Pass me the soup ladle.
'server' normally refers to utensils for solid or semi-solid foods, not liquids.

3. a person whose job is to bring food and drinks to customers at a restaurant tabl

3.nounA2
Definition

a person whose job is to bring food and drinks to customers at a restaurant table and take their orders.

Example

The server brought us water and menus shortly after we sat down.

David asked the server whether the soup contained any nuts or dairy.

collocation: ask the server

Common collocations
  • ask your server
  • friendly server
  • experienced server
  • tip the server
  • call the server
Synonyms
  • waiter

    more traditional term; often implies a male server

  • waitress

    female server; less common now in favour of gender-neutral 'server'

  • food server

    more explicit but less common in everyday use

Usage Note

This term is gender-neutral and increasingly preferred over 'waiter' or 'waitress'. Common in North American English; 'waiter' and 'waitress' remain frequent in British English.

Common Mistakes

I asked the waitress for the bill.' (when meaning a male server)
I asked the server for the bill.
'server' avoids guessing the gender of the person serving you.

4. the player who hits the ball to begin play on each point in tennis, badminton, v

4.nounB1
Definition

the player who hits the ball to begin play on each point in tennis, badminton, volleyball, or similar games.

Example

The server hit the ball so hard that the receiver could not return it.

antonym pair: server vs receiver

As the server, Caleb won the first three points of the match.

sports sense: server = player who begins play

Common collocations
  • strong server
  • first server
  • second server
  • serve and volley
Synonyms
  • serving player

    more explicit but less concise; used mainly in formal descriptions of the rules

Antonyms
  • receiver

    the player who receives the serve

Usage Note

In tennis, players alternate as server and receiver each game. The server has an advantage because they control how the point starts.

Common Mistakes

The server served the ball to the other player's side.
The server hit the ball into the service box.
The ball must land in the correct area (the service box), not just any spot on the other side.

5. a person, often a child or teenager, who assists a religious leader during a wor

5.nounB2
Definition

a person, often a child or teenager, who assists a religious leader during a worship service by carrying candles, holding books, or preparing items used in the ceremony.

Example

The altar server handed the priest the chalice during the morning service.

collocation: altar server

Amira volunteered to be a server at her local church every Sunday.

Common collocations
  • altar server
  • church server
  • young server
  • train as a server
Synonyms
  • altar server

    more specific and more commonly used than 'server' alone in this sense

  • acolyte

    a more formal term; often used for older or trained servers

Usage Note

Also called altar server or acolyte. This role is common in Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran traditions. The term 'server' alone may be unfamiliar to non-religious learners.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Server and host overlap in meaning but differ in emphasis. A server is a computer or program that provides services (files, email, web pages) to clients on a network; a host is any computer that runs applications or services, sometimes including servers. In cloud computing, 'host' often refers to the physical machine running virtual servers. Mainframe is an older type of large, powerful computer built for bulk data processing — it is not a network server in the modern sense, though mainframes can serve data. For everyday technology contexts, use 'server' for the machine that manages shared resources; use 'host' when focusing on the computer that 'runs' something (e.g., 'the host for our website'). Example: 'The new server handles two thousand requests per minute.' vs 'Our web host went down for maintenance.'

server ↗host ↗mainframe

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Comes from the English verb 'serve' (from Latin 'servire', meaning 'to be a servant or slave') plus the suffix '-er' (meaning 'a person or thing that does something'). Originally, a server was a person who serves food. Over time, the word expanded to include utensils used for serving food, and later, in the 1990s, to computers that 'serve' data to other computers. The religious sense (altar server) dates back several centuries.