Word of the Day

: November 26, 2021

maître d'

noun may-truh-DEE

What It Means

A maître d' (or maitre d') is the headwaiter of the dining-room staff of a restaurant or hotel.

// The maître d' ushered the celebrity couple to a private table at the back of the restaurant.

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maître d' in Context

"Mike is part of a long-standing trio responsible for making Lucca's one of Helena's premier fine-dining establishments. … Rounding out the team is Ray Spooner, maître d', who not only greets and seats patrons but starts the evening off by eloquently describing the featured wines." — Donnie Sexton, The Billings (Montana) Gazette, 19 Oct. 2021

Did You Know?

Maître d' is short for maître d'hôtel, which comes from French and literally means "master of the house." Maître d'hôtel was used in English for a head butler or steward of a household before it referred to the head of a dining-room staff. For the record, the plural of maître d'hôtel is maîtres d'hôtel whereas the plural of maître d' is maître d's.