waiters

Meanings

1. 1nounplural

   People whose job is to bring food and drinks to customers in a restaurant.

   Grammar: Countable noun in the plural; the singular is waiter: one waiter, two waiters.

   Patterns

   • work as waiters
   • a team of waiters
   • waiters at a restaurant

   The waiters were rushed off their feet during the lunch hour.

   She worked as one of the waiters at a seaside hotel.

   Good waiters remember what regular customers like to order.

2. 2nounplural

   People who carry trays of food or drinks at a formal event.

   Grammar: Countable noun in the plural, used for staff at parties and banquets.

   Patterns

   • hire waiters for an event
   • waiters in uniform

   Waiters in white gloves moved among the guests with trays of champagne.

   They hired extra waiters for the wedding reception.

Word forms

Common combinations

work as a waiter

He worked as a waiter while he was at college.

head waiter

The head waiter showed us to our table.

waiters and waitresses

The hotel employs waiters and waitresses from many countries.

tip a waiter

In the US it is usual to tip a waiter about twenty percent.

Synonyms and how they differ

server

The neutral modern term used in many restaurants and job ads; it avoids mentioning gender.

waitress

Only for a woman or girl; some people find it old-fashioned or belittling.

steward

Used for someone who serves food on a ship or plane, or at a formal club.

Word family

waiter noun

the singular form: a person who serves food

waitress noun

a female waiter

wait verb

to serve food and drinks at tables, or to stay until something happens

waiting noun

the activity of serving customers in a restaurant

Commonly confused: waiters or waits?

Practice

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