server
gb/sˈɚvɚ/ us/sˈɚvɚ/
A2
English
~ 600
Senses
0 senses
Noun
technical
B1
entity
1
computer providing network services
A computer that gives information or services to other computers.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'server' with 'service'. A server is the machine or program; a service is the function it provides.
Synonyms
host (Often used in computing to mean a computer that serves data, but can also mean the person running an event.)
Antonyms
client (In computing, a client is the device or program that requests services from a server.)
Collocations
web server
|database server
|mail server
|application server
|server maintenance
Themes
technology
|computing
|internet
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The website is hosted on a remote server.
- Our email server will be down for maintenance tonight.
- He upgraded the company's main file server to increase storage capacity.
- The game server was overloaded during the launch.
- Cloud providers often manage multiple virtual servers on a single machine.
Learner examples
- The file is saved on the server.
- The server sends data to my computer.
- We have one big server in the office.
- The game server is very slow today.
- A server can store many files.
Noun
A2
entity
2
person serving food in restaurant
A person who works in a restaurant and brings food to people.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'server' with 'servant'; 'server' is used for jobs like in restaurants, not for personal domestic work.
Synonyms
waiter/waitress (Traditional gendered terms for a restaurant server; 'server' is more gender-neutral.)
Antonyms
customer (The person receiving service from the server in a restaurant.)
Collocations
restaurant server
|friendly server
|waiter or server
|tip the server
|server training
Themes
food
|hospitality
|jobs
|food_drink
|work
|daily_life
Examples
- The server recommended the chef's special for dinner.
- Our server was attentive and friendly throughout the meal.
- Please let your server know if you have any food allergies.
- The new restaurant hired five experienced servers.
- The server brought extra napkins without us asking.
Learner examples
- The server takes our order.
- Our server is very nice.
- The server brings my food.
- I give money to the server.
- The server works in the cafe.
Noun
technical
B2
entity
3
device delivering specific network content
A special computer or program that sends certain types of information, like videos or apps, over the internet.
Synonyms
content host (Refers specifically to hosting and delivering content.)
Collocations
streaming server
|media server
|game server
Themes
technology
|computing
|communication
Examples
- A streaming server handles thousands of video requests every second.
- The game uses multiple servers for different regions.
- We deployed a new media server for our music platform.
Learner examples
- The game has many servers.
- A media server sends music to my phone.
- The streaming server is fast.
Grammar
Dictionary form
server
IPA
GB/sˈɚvɚ/
US/sˈɚvɚ/
Syllables & stress
serv - er (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (serv)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: server
- Plural: servers
Word family
Forms
servers
noun
Related words
servant
noun A2
Negative and opposite forms
disservice
noun
Advanced or less common
serviceable
adjective B2
Expressions
server downtime
1/sˈɚvɚ dˈaʊntˌaɪm/
fixed phrase
technical
time when server is offline
Time when a computer that gives information is not working or cannot be used.
Examples
- We experienced two hours of server downtime yesterday.
- Server downtime can cause big losses for online businesses.
dedicated server
1/dˈɛdɪkeɪtɪd sˈɚvɚ/
fixed phrase
technical
Server used by one client only
A computer that works only for one person or company on the internet.
Examples
- We run our website on a dedicated server for better performance.
- Our website runs on a dedicated server for better performance.
- A dedicated server can be more secure than shared hosting.
- A dedicated server gives you more control and speed.
server farm
1/sˈɚvɚ fˈɑɹm/
fixed phrase
technical
group of servers in one place
Many servers kept together in one place to do big jobs on the internet.
Examples
- The company built a large server farm to handle increased web traffic.
- The company expanded its server farm to handle more traffic.
- Server farms use a lot of electricity and need cooling systems.
- Server farms require strong cooling systems.