chef

noun

ˈshef 

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

ˈshef-dəm 

noun

Synonyms of chef

• cook
• baker

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

This industrial-chic bistro from James Beard Award semifinalist chef Dallas McGarity is known for its New American small plates, mains and imaginative craft cocktails. —Gege Reed, Louisville Courier Journal, 16 Dec. 2025

For dinner, make reservations at chef Nate Sloan’s Bloom, or fill up on the brick oven pizza at neighborhood bar Fork in the Alley. —Lydia Mansel, Southern Living, 16 Dec. 2025

Ahead, take a peek at the chef’s holiday dinner party and get some inspiration for your own relaxed dînatoire. —Elly Leavitt, Vogue, 16 Dec. 2025

The food comes by way of Jean Georges Vongerichten, the executive chef at The Mark Restaurant. —John Ortved, Travel + Leisure, 16 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French, short for chef de cuisine head of the kitchen

First Known Use

1826, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing chef

• chef de cuisine
• chef d'oeuvre
• chef's kiss
• chef's knife
• chef's salad
• executive chef
• sous chef

Rhymes for chef

• clef
• deaf
• ref

Kids Definition

chef

noun

ˈshef 

1

: a chief cook

2

: cook entry 1