chef

noun

ˈshef How to pronounce chef (audio)
plural chefs
Synonyms of chef
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 How to pronounce chef (audio)
noun

Synonyms of chef

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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.
On the other side of the entrance, a formal dining room features a picture window and access to the chef’s kitchen, which is complete with a double island. — Katie Schultz, Architectural Digest, 19 Oct. 2026 Bersten, who is filling in this week as Dewan’s partner, was previously paired with celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis before they were eliminated earlier in the season. — Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026 Rondeau, who grew up in Guatemala, is an architect; Calderón, her partner in life and in restaurants, is a filmmaker and chef from Peru. — Hannah Goldfield, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026 The sports bar portion of the development at The Mayan would offer food that would be separate from what Leilani offers, but both would use the same kitchen and chefs, said Kemph. — Addison Wright, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026 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

Phrases Containing chef

Rhymes for chef

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Browse Nearby Words

cheewink
chef
chef's kiss
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Cite this Entry

“Chef.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chef. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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