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
• cooker
• culinarian

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

In this recipe adapted from his cookbook The Broad Fork, chef Hugh Acheson turns ramps into a simple jam thickened with powdered pectin. —Hugh Acheson, Saveur, 3 May 2024

Case in point: The chef Mathew Peters, an alum of Per Se and the French Laundry, opens on Thursday a reservation-only cocktail bar in Austin, Eater reported. —Tori Latham, Robb Report, 2 May 2024

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

Kids Definition

chef

noun

ˈshef 

1

: a chief cook

2

: cook entry 1