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

The perfect combination of breakfast and lunch, brunch been refined, refreshed and elevated over the years by chefs across the country who realize the value of of sweet pasties, savory carving stations and everything in between. —Usa Today Network, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2026

The chef’s tasting menu with wine pairing is the highlight. —Lauren Schuster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Apr. 2026

One highlight of the experience for the chef was seeing the influencers eat her food. —Chiara Kim, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 2026

Fishing trips are also on offer and one of our gang goes out to catch dinner, which is made into delicious fish cakes by the lodge’s excellent chef. —Lucie Grace, TheWeek, 17 Apr. 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