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
Best Amazon Memorial Day Bag and Accessory Sales The bags and accessories lining the aisles of Amazon’s Memorial Day sale are utterly *chef’s kiss.
—Annie Blackman, InStyle, 23 May 2026
The deal covers around 1,500 Teamsters members, including drivers, animal trainers and wranglers, chef assistants and location scouts and managers.
—Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2026
At a true farmers market, you’ll likely spot chefs inspecting greens, tasting fruits and plotting that night’s specials — the same approach is available to home cooks willing to shop seasonally and ask questions.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Charlotte Observer, 22 May 2026
Now imagine doing that with a celebrity chef breathing down your neck (respectfully).
—Samantha Sasso, Vulture, 22 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for chef
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Annie Blackman, InStyle, 23 May 2026
The deal covers around 1,500 Teamsters members, including drivers, animal trainers and wranglers, chef assistants and location scouts and managers.
—Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2026
At a true farmers market, you’ll likely spot chefs inspecting greens, tasting fruits and plotting that night’s specials — the same approach is available to home cooks willing to shop seasonally and ask questions.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Charlotte Observer, 22 May 2026
Now imagine doing that with a celebrity chef breathing down your neck (respectfully).
—Samantha Sasso, Vulture, 22 May 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 23 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
chef
noun1
: a chief cook
2
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