chef

noun

ˈshef 

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

ˈshef-dəm 

noun

Synonyms of chef

• cook
• baker

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

The chefs are even growing their own Thai herbs in a small garden in front of the restaurant. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026

After spending years working in fine dining, and most recently as the executive chef at Bourbon Steak in Glendale, Pulido partnered with a childhood best friend to open Masa y Taza. — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026

The menu, overseen by the chef Mike Cain, is largely playing the hits. — Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2026

The announcement indicates Caldwell’s departure from the same role at Marcus Bar & Grille, the Old Fourth Ward restaurant owned by celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson. — Henri Hollis, AJC.com, 3 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

French, short for chef de cuisine head of the kitchen

First Known Use

1826, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing chef

• chef de cuisine
• chef d'oeuvre
• chef's kiss
• chef's knife
• chef's salad
• executive chef
• sous chef

Rhymes for chef

• clef
• deaf
• ref

Kids Definition

chef

noun

ˈshef 

1

: a chief cook

2

: cook entry 1