maître d'hôtel

noun

maî·​tre d'hô·​tel ˌmā-trə-(ˌ)dō-ˈtel How to pronounce maître d'hôtel (audio)
ˌme-;
ˌmāt-dō-,
ˌmet-
plural maîtres d'hôtel ˌmā-trə-(ˌ)dō-ˈtel How to pronounce maître d'hôtel (audio)
ˌme-;
ˌmāt-dō-,
ˌmet-
1
2
: a sauce of butter, parsley, salt, pepper, and lemon juice

called also maître d'hôtel butter

Examples of maître d'hôtel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web At about 11:15, the maitre d'hotel whispered that about 30 photographers were massed outside the hotel. People Staff, Peoplemag, 31 Aug. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'maître d'hôtel.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French, literally, master of house

First Known Use

1538, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of maître d'hôtel was in 1538

Dictionary Entries Near maître d'hôtel

Cite this Entry

“Maître d'hôtel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ma%C3%AEtre%20d%27h%C3%B4tel. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.

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