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

South Side chefs will work alongside students throughout the day. —Todd Feurer, CBS News, 18 Nov. 2025

The event included a number of cooking demonstrations from practiced hands, a lively tailgate filled with delicious bites and candid conversations between chefs and other culinary experts. —Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 17 Nov. 2025

Porrati, who moonlights as a chef, was taking us through a cooking demo in the courtyard outside his store under the bluebird sky. —Jacqui Gifford, Travel + Leisure, 17 Nov. 2025

The house features a chef's kitchen, double-sided fireplace and a study with custom Burmeister woodwork, according to the listing. —Francesca Pica, jsonline.com, 17 Nov. 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