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.
That makes the entire package a memorable gift, or a keepsake for your inner chef. — Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 7 July 2026 The Inside Amy Schumer alum shares her 7-year-old son with her estranged husband, chef Chris Fischer. — Hannah Malach, InStyle, 6 July 2026 The home, which the listing says was inspired by the tropical Indonesian island of Bali, features a movie theater, chef’s kitchen and custom dressing room. — Catherine Odom july 7, Miami Herald, 7 July 2026 Its Chef Corps provides a network of hundreds of chefs who understand local food sources, suppliers and distribution systems. — Monica Sanders, Forbes.com, 7 July 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

See All Rhymes for chef

Browse Nearby Words

cheewink
chef
chef's kiss
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Chef.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chef. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of chef for Spanish Speakers

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