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

The executive chef came here from the Four Seasons Vail in Colorado and has done a great job. —Larry Olmsted, Forbes.com, 26 Apr. 2025

The ship's staff would be available for serving and clean-up, as were the chefs for those of us less talented in the kitchen. —Gillian Telling, People.com, 26 Apr. 2025

The James Beard award-winning chef and restaurateur wowed judges and viewers on Season 13. —Mariette Williams, Essence, 25 Apr. 2025

Restrepo is a route chef who reeks of urgency and plays faster than the stopwatch times him, but his timed speed will almost surely hurt his draft stock. —Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 25 Apr. 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