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

• 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 Melissa & Doug Chef Dress-Up Set includes everything your budding culinary star needs to really dress the part, including a machine-washable chef's coat with name tag, toque, and oven mitt, along with wooden spoons and measuring spoons. —Katrina Cossey, Parents, 1 Oct. 2025

The chef cooks down the huitlacoche into a paste and seasons it with a bit of acid, garlic and spice. —Sara Rosenthal, Denver Post, 30 Sep. 2025

France is getting its first taste of Port City Southern cuisine with L’Arrêt, the new restaurant of chef Mashama Bailey and Johno Morisano of Savannah’s The Grey fame. —Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 30 Sep. 2025

Here, southern Italian chef Caterina Ceraudo creates elevated versions of local cuisine paired with the estate’s award-winning wines. —Gary Portuesi, Travel + Leisure, 30 Sep. 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