chef

noun

plural chefs
Synonyms of chefnext
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 noun

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Or better yet—ask about a chef’s tasting. Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 May 2026 The six-day festival, sponsored by Xcaret Hotels, will bring together renowned chefs, sommeliers, mixologists, artists and cultural voices at Hotel Xcaret Arte, Hotel Xcaret México and La Casa de la Playa. Roger Sands, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026 Guests were served with canapés prepared by executive head chef Debjit Dass, including beef tartare on potato terrine and rarebit croquettes, with a live oyster station and a dessert spread of summer berry tartlets, macarons, orange cake, and Victoria sponge. Tianwei Zhang, Footwear News, 15 May 2026 In 1986, Chicago chef Rick Bayless opened his landmark Mexican restaurant, Frontera Grill. Hannah Agran, Midwest Living, 15 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for chef

Word History

Etymology

French, short for chef de cuisine head of the kitchen

First Known Use

1826, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of chef was in 1826

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Cite this Entry

“Chef.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chef. Accessed 17 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

chef

noun
1
: a chief cook
2

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