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.
The restaurant can also be used to host collaborative pop-ups, helping to shine a spotlight on up-and-coming chefs. Brittany Anas, The Denver Post, 8 Nov. 2024 The week included tastings of world-class caviar and wine, plus cuisine from two of Italy’s most celebrated chefs, Carlo Cracco and Norbert Niederkofler, as well as other chefs as part of Robb Report’s Culinary Masters event. Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 5 Nov. 2024 This approach mirrors the assemblage process in Dom Pérignon’s winemaking, says Vincent Chaperon, Dom Pérignon’s chef de cave (head winemaker). Rachel King, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024 The Cloud 23 hot sauce founder and CEO and passionate chef is the eldest child of former soccer star David and fashion designer Victoria, who have known the British royals for years. Janine Henni, People.com, 5 Nov. 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 21 Nov. 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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