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

As the chef partner of Kindling inside Willis Tower, Sawyer balances television appearances with running a restaurant in one of the city’s busiest buildings. —Eva Remijan-Toba, Chicago Tribune, 1 Mar. 2026

All are created by chef Anastacia Quiñones-Pittman, formerly of Dallas restaurant José. —Sarah Blaskovich, Dallas Morning News, 1 Mar. 2026

Quartz countertops will provide ample work space for the chef and helpers. —James Alexander, Hartford Courant, 1 Mar. 2026

Karlitz, who is producing a talk at the NY Restaurant Show at the Javits Center on March 9, will host a panel with chefs Marcus Samuelsson, Simon Kim, Ayesha Nurdjaja, executive chef at Shuka and Shukette, and Eugene Remm, the restaurateur behind Catch Hospitality Group. —Richard Johnson, New York Daily News, 1 Mar. 2026

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