chef

noun

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 noun

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The restaurant’s ownership team includes general manager Amy Zheng, Sammy Wong and Michael Cai, who is also the head chef. Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 29 May 2025 Why this show should be smokin’ hot A renowned CT chef is about to be seen by millions. Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 29 May 2025 At Sandals’ Jerk Shacks, chefs stay true to that tradition by marinating chicken, pork, and fish in a fiery mix of Scotch bonnet peppers, thyme, and allspice, then grilling it over pimento wood. Sandals Resorts, AFAR Media, 2 June 2025 The chef started serving a whole duck preparation ($135) at the restaurant about six months ago, hoping to entice diners with offerings outside of the stellar steak program. Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for chef

Word History

Etymology

French, short for chef de cuisine head of the kitchen

First Known Use

1826, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of chef was in 1826

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Chef.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chef. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

chef

noun
1
: a chief cook
2

More from Merriam-Webster on chef

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