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
Adam Shatz 2
: cook
chef
intransitive verb
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 rom-com follows a 20-something chef amid a quarter-life crisis who jets off to Italy to find herself, and discovers love in the process.
—Kathleen Perricone, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Apr. 2026
Hundreds of comments from users ensued on both platforms speaking out about the chef’s behavior during times when they were employed at both restaurants.
—Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 12 Apr. 2026
Not to be outdone, the Tuscany Active Culinary Walking & Hiking Tour in Italy features wine sipping, a cooking class led by an engaging Italian chef, and plenty of strolling through the countryside.
—Beth Luberecki, USA Today, 11 Apr. 2026
Global Flavors, Southern Tables Prior to Noble South, Rainosek trained as a chef and front of house in Colorado before working at the Wash House in Fairhope and developing a local fan base.
—Anne Byrn, Southern Living, 11 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for chef
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Kathleen Perricone, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Apr. 2026
Hundreds of comments from users ensued on both platforms speaking out about the chef’s behavior during times when they were employed at both restaurants.
—Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 12 Apr. 2026
Not to be outdone, the Tuscany Active Culinary Walking & Hiking Tour in Italy features wine sipping, a cooking class led by an engaging Italian chef, and plenty of strolling through the countryside.
—Beth Luberecki, USA Today, 11 Apr. 2026
Global Flavors, Southern Tables Prior to Noble South, Rainosek trained as a chef and front of house in Colorado before working at the Wash House in Fairhope and developing a local fan base.
—Anne Byrn, Southern Living, 11 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for chef
Cite this Entry
“Chef.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chef. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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chef
noun1
: a chief cook
2
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