waitress

Everyday

A waitress is a woman or girl whose job is to bring food and drinks to customers' tables in a café or restaurant and take their orders. tree →

In the lessons

Used in everyday life about cafés, diners and restaurants; often in maths word problems about bills and tips. Many places now use «server» or «waiting staff» for everyone. Phrases: «work as a waitress», «call the waitress», «tip the waitress».

Examples

• The waitress brought us three glasses of lemonade. tree →
• My cousin works as a waitress on Saturdays. tree →
• We thanked the waitress and left a tip. tree →
• The waitress wrote down our order. tree →
• Mum asked the waitress for the bill. tree →
• The waitress carried four plates at once. tree →
• A waitress earns £8 an hour; how much does she earn in 5 hours? tree →

Note

Countable noun; plural «waitresses». Male form: waiter. Neutral forms: server, waiting staff. In the USA and Canada tipping (about a sixth to a fifth of the bill) is expected; in the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand it is smaller or optional. In maths problems a "tip" is an extra amount added to the bill, often a percentage.