Word of the Day

: June 21, 2008

restaurateur

noun res-tuh-ruh-TER

What It Means

: the operator or proprietor of a restaurant

restaurateur in Context

Fred began his career in the food-service industry as a humble busboy, but today he is a successful restaurateur who recently opened his third eating establishment.

Did You Know?

"Restaurateur" and "restaurant" were borrowed directly from related French words, and both ultimately derive from the Latin word "restaurare" ("to restore"). "Restaurant" arrived in English in the second half of the 18th century. We acquired "restaurateur" approximately 30 years later. Of the two words, "restaurant" is significantly more common -- a fact that may have influenced the development of the variant spelling "restauranteur" for "restaurateur." "Restauranteur" first appeared in the 1920s, and some people consider it to be an error. It is, however, a standard variant, albeit one that continues to be used less frequently than "restaurateur."