waitron

English

Etymology 1

Coined as a gender-neutral substitute for waiter and waitress, this is one of the few words with the gender-neutral suffix -ron[1] to have seen much use, probably re-inforced by rhyming with patron.[1][2] (Some references instead analyse it as using the same "machinelike" suffix -tron[2] as waitron (mechanical waiter), but more likely it uses -ron like laundron[1] and like waiter and waitress use -er/-ress not *-ter/*-tress.)

Noun

waitron (plural waitrons)

  1. (nonstandard, rare) A waiter or waitress.
    • 1992, May, Julian, Jack the Bodiless, Knopf, →ISBN, OL 1567595M:
      With adolescent perversity, he turned up his nose at all of the elegant French items on the Closerie's menu and scandalized the waitron by demanding corned-beef hash—fried extra crisp—with poached eggs, a slice of fresh papaya with lime, banana-walnut bread, and a pitcher of Mexican chocolate.
    • 2004 September 28, Dalton, Tracey, The Food and Beverage Handbook, Lansdowne: Juta and Company Ltd., →ISBN, OL 7774255M, page 48:
      Table Service is the combined interaction between the guest and the waitron whilst seated at a table in the establishment's restaurant.
    • 2008 February 1, Ratcliffe-Wright, Jenny, Spit Or Swallow: A Guide for the Wine Virgin, Lansdowne: Double Storey, →ISBN, OL 25421828M, page 89:
      If your wine waitron smells the cork, s/he's probably a beginner at this game because you can tell absolutely nothing by smelling the cork.
    • 2010 May 10, Cowen, Sam, “Jo'burg and London, relatively speaking”, in Daily Telegraph, ISSN 0307-1235:
      Come back here with your cut glass, posh English accent and waitrons everywhere will melt at your feet.
    • For more examples of usage of this term, see Citations:waitron.
Synonyms

References

  1. Paul McFedries, Word Spy: The Word Lover's Guide to Modern Culture (2004, →ISBN)
  2. waitron” in Merriam–Webster Online Dictionary.

Etymology 2

From waiter + -tron.

Noun

waitron (plural waitrons)

  1. (dated, science fiction) A robotic or mechanical waiter.
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