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Glite Dictionary
👩‍🍳 A female server 👩‍🍳 To serve food
waitress

waitress

350 1.0
A woman who serves food and drinks at tables in a restaurant or cafe
  • noun
  • /ˈweɪtrəs/
translation icon : camarera
  • And I had this awesome waitress named Renee.
  • waiters and waitresses
  • ask the waitress
  • work as a waitress

But I had a a waitress yesterday here in New York.

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Examples

  • I need to talk to that waitress.

    Last Chance Charlene (2022)

  • After waiting for a while, the waitress came back to check if we needed anything else.

  • The waitress will be right with you.

    Wandering Eye (2011)

  • "His voice was getting louder, and the waitress approached their table and asked if they wanted another round.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • Actually, my sister has been a waitress at Freemasons parties.

  • Now she's working as a waitress in a chain restaurant.

    Academic text (2007)

  • When I explained my dietary requirements to the waitress, she assured me that the soup was vegetarian.

    Academic text (2000)

  • "Mashed, fried, or baked potatoes?" asked the waitress, still looking at Mama.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • Leonard watches a waitress in the diner, Paula, chatting with some young customers.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • The waitress took our order and brought our drinks within minutes.

Synonyms

waiter
vswaitress
300 1.0

A person who serves food and drinks to people in a restaurant or cafe

refers specifically to a woman rather than any gender
server
vswaitress
60 2.0

A person who brings food and drinks to customers at their table

refers specifically to a woman rather than neutral language
disher
vswaitress
4 9.5

A person who serves food or drinks quickly and neatly

means the same job but without the special skill focus
mozo
vswaitress
  • US
9.9

A person who brings food and drinks to customers in a restaurant

is used generally rather than being specific to one region
restaurant attendant
vswaitress
2.5

A person who serves guests and shows them to their table in a restaurant

refers specifically to a woman rather than a general employee
dining-room attendant
vswaitress
3.5

A person who serves food and helps guests in a dining room

applies specifically to a woman working at tables, not any staff role

Surface Forms

waitress singular
waitresses plural

Morphology

waitress = waiter (transparent) = wait + ess

Formed by the productive female agentive suffix '-ess' from the agent noun 'waiter'/'wait', so the meaning 'female server' is directly inferable.

Etymology

Waitress comes from the verb wait, which here meant 'to serve' or 'to stay and help', plus the female ending -ress, like in actress. So a waitress is a woman who 'waits on' or serves people at tables.