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
• 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

Contributions from dancer Elena Toupalidou, poet Lily Ashley, chef Dalad Kambhu and others distilled the brand’s archive into eight life chapters, combining creativity, perception and craft. —Footwear News, 7 Oct. 2025

The perfect gift for the baker or serious chef in your life, if ever there was one, is the iconic stand mixer from Kitchenaid. —Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 7 Oct. 2025

Taz Skylar, who plays Straw Hats chef Sanji, previews the characters' arrival. —Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Oct. 2025

Special holiday events, candlelit concerts, chefs’ dinners, cooking classes, and afternoon tea are scheduled throughout the year. —Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 7 Oct. 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