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

Chef Davide Bisetto and pastry chef Tim Ricci’s restaurant is set inside a grand palazzo, complete with mint-green parasols shading a garden oasis. —Jenn Rice, Travel + Leisure, 23 Dec. 2025

The home chef also included a few snaps of her husband, 79, smiling at her from across the table, as well as a recent picture of the pair posing together while on vacation. —Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 23 Dec. 2025

The classic Midtown restaurant says its chefs cooked nearly 350 families' holiday dinners this year. —Kaley Fedko, CBS News, 23 Dec. 2025

Take the strips and a good, sharp chef’s knife and cut or mince the strips into tiny pieces. —Stacey Lastoe, Southern Living, 23 Dec. 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