waitressing

IPA/ˈweɪtrəsɪŋ/
IPA/ˈweɪtrəsɪŋ/

waitressing — noun

1. the type of paid work in which you serve food and drinks to people sitting at ta

1.nounB1
Definition

the type of paid work in which you serve food and drinks to people sitting at tables in a restaurant, cafe, or bar, take their orders, and bring them the bill when they have finished

Example

Tamás took a waitressing job at a busy seaside cafe last summer.

collocation: took a waitressing job

After two years of waitressing, Ari knew how to handle even the most difficult customers.

pattern: after [time period] of waitressing — time expression

Common collocations
  • do waitressing
  • work in waitressing
  • a waitressing job
  • waitressing work
  • weekend waitressing
  • part-time waitressing
  • waitressing shift
Synonyms
  • serving

    more general; can refer to serving food in any setting including canteens, not just table service

  • waiting tables

    gender-neutral phrase meaning the same thing, common in American English

Grammar Patterns

do + waitressing

work in + waitressing

Usage Note

Waitressing is an uncountable noun, so you cannot say 'a waitressing' on its own. Instead use phrases like 'a waitressing job', 'do waitressing', or 'work in waitressing'.

Common Mistakes

She found a waitressing in a nice restaurant.
She found a waitressing job in a nice restaurant.
'waitressing' is uncountable; you need 'job' after it or use 'do waitressing'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'Waitressing' and 'waiting tables' both refer to serving food in a restaurant, but 'waiting tables' is gender-neutral and more common in American English, while 'waitressing' specifically derives from the feminine 'waitress'. 'Serving' is broader — it includes serving food in cafeterias, at buffets, or in staff canteens, not just at tables. 'Table service' is a hospitality-industry term for the method of serving seated customers; it describes the system rather than the job. For example: 'She found waitressing exhausting but rewarding' vs 'The restaurant offers full table service with a dedicated waiter.'

waitressing ↗serving ↗waiting tablestable service

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • do waitressing
  • work in waitressing
  • a waitressing job

Prepositions

Etymology

GermanicOld FrenchEnglish

'Waitressing' comes from 'waitress', which was formed by adding the feminine suffix '-ess' to 'waiter'. 'Waiter' originally meant 'one who watches or attends', from the Old French 'waitier' (to watch), which came from a Germanic root meaning 'to guard or keep watch'. Over centuries, 'waiter' shifted from a guard to an attendant who looks after customers' needs, and 'waitressing' emerged as the noun for that line of work.