English · Word Candidate

waiter

/ˈweɪ̯təː/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: waiters · waitering · waitered

Sense 1

Meaning · English

A male or female attendant who serves customers at their tables in a restaurant, café or similar.

Noun

Examples

Waiter! There's a fly in my soup.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

Someone who waits for somebody or something; a person who is waiting.

Noun

Examples

However, the NTPF also contained implicit negative incentives for the public sector by offering alternative private sector treatment for the longest waiters at no extra cost to patients or no penalty to public providers.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Meaning · English

To work as a waiter.

Verb

Examples

I had definitely had my fill of factory jobs, but had never worked in an office, nor bussed, nor waitered.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “waiter” mean?

A male or female attendant who serves customers at their tables in a restaurant, café or similar.

Is “waiter” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.