A reverse proxy is a server that sits in front of one or more web servers and acts as an intermediary for client requests. When a client (such as a web browser) sends a request to a website, the reverse proxy intercepts this request and forwards it to the appropriate backend web server. The backend server processes the request and sends the response back to the reverse proxy, which then returns it to the client as if the proxy itself had handled the request. The client is unaware of the actual backend server handling its request, interacting only with the reverse proxy.