chef

noun

plural chefs
1
: a skilled professional cook
a trained chef
specifically : one who is in charge of a professional kitchen
I wrote to the chef of an acclaimed New American restaurant on the Upper East Side about my food experiences. He invited me to spend a few days in the kitchen on a trial basis. Adam Shatz
2
: cook
chef intransitive verb
chefdom noun

Examples of chef in a Sentence

The hotel's chef trained at the finest culinary institutes in Europe. He's the head chef at a five-star restaurant. a celebrity chef with her own TV show My friend is an excellent chef.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In Detroit’s Core City, Argentine chef Bardauil opened Barda in 2021, taking over the space that was once Magnet restaurant. Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 10 Dec. 2024 The founders are seasoned restaurateurs and businessmen: Oisín Rogers, the former landlord of the popular Guinea Grill pub in Mayfair; Charlie Carroll, founder of the steakhouse Flat Iron, and Ashley Palmer-Watts, who spent two decades as a chef at the Fat Duck. Hikmat Mohammed, WWD, 10 Dec. 2024 Jared Rouben, Moody Tongue’s co-founder and brewer, is also a chef who has worked in several Michelin starred kitchens. Erik Ofgang, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024 There will also be a two-story American brasserie-style restaurant, Lex Yard, spearheaded by longtime Gramercy Tavern chef Michael Anthony. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 10 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for chef 

Word History

Etymology

French, short for chef de cuisine head of the kitchen

First Known Use

1826, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of chef was in 1826

Dictionary Entries Near chef

Cite this Entry

“Chef.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chef. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

chef

noun
1
: a chief cook
2

More from Merriam-Webster on chef

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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