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

Continue reading … SPEAK UP – Celebrity chef wants Americans to give restaurant owners some smart advice. —FOXNews.com, 25 Nov. 2025

For dinner, choose the soon-to-open French bistro Petit Trois from chef Ludo Lefebvre, or opt for casual comfort (burgers, Jidori chicken Milanese, corkscrew fries) at the convivial, all-day restaurant. —Siobhan Reid, Vogue, 25 Nov. 2025

Southern Living tapped two professional bakers—Shelby Briggs, executive chef at 8th & Roast, a Nashville coffee and pastry shop and Priscilla Kenny, owner and pastry chef at Meringue Me, a specialty dessert shop in Austin—for their tips and tricks on making egg wash. —Stacey Lastoe, Southern Living, 25 Nov. 2025

In her years, Gyngell also worked as the personal chef to notable names, including Madonna, Nigella Lawson, Charles Saatchi and Guy Ritchie. —Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 25 Nov. 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