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

Nearly everything Noma does is news; the restaurant’s influence—and that of its head chef, co-owner, and public face, René Redzepi—sends ripples through the culinary world like a rogue moon. —Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2026

Adrian Grenier recently discussed not being asked to return for The Devil Wears Prada 2 after playing Andy Sachs’ (Anne Hathaway) chef boyfriend Nate in the 2006 feature adaptation of Lauren Weisberger’s novel. —Glenn Garner, Deadline, 15 Mar. 2026

Maybe the chef won't be a celebrity name, but the food is just as good. —Alex Schechter, Travel + Leisure, 15 Mar. 2026

Zasso, whose brother Marcello is the chef at Locanda Ischia in Willow Glen, was executive chef at a five-star hotel in Sardinia before immigrating. —Laura Ness, Mercury News, 15 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