In general a servent is a peer-to-peer network node, which has the functionalities of both a server and a client. This is a portmanteau derived from the terms server and client. It is a play on the word "servant", and should not be confused with serventism, which the New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary defines as "The practice of attending a married woman as a male companion or lover".

The setup is designed so that each node can upload, download, and usually also route network information, allowing for the creation and maintenance of ad-hoc networks.

The term originated from the Gnutella lexicon, with Gnutella being the first widespread decentralized peer-to-peer network.