You type a web address, press Enter, and a page appears. Between those two moments, your computer has to find the right server and ask it for the page. Understanding that trip makes several networking terms easier to place.
First the browser finds a server
A domain name such as example.com is easier to remember than an IP address, the numerical address computers use to identify a destination on a network. The Domain Name System, or DNS, helps translate the domain name into an IP address. It works a little like looking up a contact name to find the number to call.
Your device usually asks a DNS resolver for help. The resolver may already have a recent answer saved in its cache; if not, it asks other DNS servers until it can find the answer. That saved result can make a repeat visit faster, but it does not store the web page itself.
Then a request travels
Once the browser has an IP address, it can send a request to the server at that destination. The request includes details such as which resource the browser wants, often a page or an image. A server is simply a computer or system set up to respond to requests like these.
The server sends a response, and the browser uses the returned files and instructions to display the page. A web page may require several requests, because its text, images, and other resources can be separate files. So loading one page is often a short exchange repeated for the pieces that make it up.