(court games) the player who serves to start a point
"After losing her serve, Maria returned to the baseline to act as server and try to win back the game."
utensil used in serving food or drink
"The waiter set down a silver server to hold the hot soup while he explained the recipe."
A program that provides services to other programs or devices, either in the same computer or over a computer network.
"The new web server crashed after too many users tried to download files at once."
In plain English: A server is a powerful computer that stores files and runs programs for other devices to use.
"The restaurant server brought us our appetizers right away."
Usage: Use this word specifically when referring to software or hardware that manages requests from clients on a network; do not use it interchangeably with "servant" or as a synonym for restaurant staff unless the context is explicitly technical. It most commonly appears in collocations like web server, file server, and database server within formal IT discussions.
The word server comes from Middle English and originally meant a person who serves others. It entered modern usage as someone or something that provides services rather than just performing the act of serving.