Definition
Plural of headwaiter; senior waiters who supervise dining service in restaurants or hotels.
Etymology
Compound of 'head' (meaning chief or principal) and 'waiter' (one who waits on tables). The term developed in the 19th century as formal dining establishments created hierarchical positions to manage service staff.
Kelly Says
Headwaiters were the original managers of fine dining—they had to memorize complex orders, coordinate staff, and handle difficult customers before we had computers or detailed menus. Many were celebrated figures in fancy restaurants, almost as famous as the chefs themselves.
Translations
AMአማርኛ
ሰርቪስ አስተዳደር
se-rvis as-te-da-der
ARالعربية
مُقدم الخدمة
moo-qaddam al-khidmah
CACatalà
capità de sala
ka-pi-ta-deh sah-la
CSČeština
servír
ser-ve-er
DADansk
servitører
ser-vi-to-reh
DEDeutsch
Restaurantleiter
rez-to-rahnt-ly-ter
ELΕλληνικά
υπεύθυνος τραπέζης
y-pe-vo-noos tra-pe-zees
ESEspañol
camareros
kah-mah-reh-rohss
FISuomi
palvelijat
pal-ve-li-jat
FRFrançais
chef de salle
shef duh sahll
GUGU
સેવાકર્મી
se-va-kar-mee
HAHA
ma'aikata
ma-ai-ka-ta
HEעברית
מנהל מסעדה
me-na-al mes-e-dah
IDBahasa Indonesia
pelayan
peh-lay-an
IGIG
onye na-eje
oh-nye na-e-je
ITItaliano
camerieri
kah-meh-ree-eh
JA日本語
フロアマネージャー
furoa-manee-jaa
KMKM
ប្រធាន ប្ដី
pra-tha-an btei
KO한국어
서빙팀장
seo-bing-teem-jang
MSBahasa Melayu
pengurus
peng-ur-us
MYမြန်မာ
စားစရာ ကုန်ပစ္စည်း
sa-sa-ra ku-n-pa-sya-ng
NLNederlands
hoofdschrijver
hof-ds-krij-ver
NONorsk
servitører
ser-vi-to-reh
PLPolski
kelnerzy
kel-ner-zy
PTPortuguês
garçons
gar-sohn
RORomână
șef de sală
shef deh sah-lah
RUРусский
официанты
oh-fish-yan-tyi
SVSvenska
servitörer
ser-vi-to-reh
SWKiswahili
mhudumu
moo-doo-moo
TAதமிழ்
சேவைப் பணியாளர்
sa-e-vi-pa-ni-ya-la-r
TEతెలుగు
సర్వ్మేం
sarv-may-en
THไทย
พนักงานเสิร์ฟ
pnah-ngaan-seh-rf
TLTL
tagapangasiya
ta-ga-pang-a-si-ya
TRTürkçe
servis şefi
ser-vis sheh-fee
UKУкраїнська
офіціант
oh-fish-yant
VITiếng Việt
người phục vụ
ngoo-ee phu-chub-voo
ZUZU
umsebenzi
oom-se-ben-zi
Ethical Language Guidance
Gender History
Plural of gendered service role; reflects occupational sex segregation in hospitality.
Inclusive Usage
Use 'head servers' or 'server leads' for inclusive reference.
Inclusive Alternatives
["head servers","server leads","service captains"]