Word of the Day:

November 26, 2021

maître d'

noun may-truh-DEE

What it Means

A maître d' (or maitre d') is the headwaiter of the dining-room staff of a restaurant or hotel.

// The maître d' ushered the celebrity couple to a private table at the back of the restaurant.

Maître d' in Context

"Mike is part of a long-standing trio responsible for making Lucca's one of Helena's premier fine-dining establishments. … Rounding out the team is Ray Spooner, maître d', who not only greets and seats patrons but starts the evening off by eloquently describing the featured wines." — Donnie Sexton, The Billings (Montana) Gazette, 19 Oct. 2021

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Did You Know?

Maître d' is short for maître d'hôtel, which comes from French and literally means "master of the house." Maître d'hôtel was used in English for a head butler or steward of a household before it referred to the head of a dining-room staff. For the record, the plural of maître d'hôtel is maîtres d'hôtel whereas the plural of maître d' is maître d's.