chef

American  

[shef] / ʃɛf /

noun

1. the chief cook, especially in a restaurant or hotel, usually responsible for planning menus, ordering foodstuffs, overseeing food preparation, and supervising the kitchen staff.

2. any cook.

---

chef British  

/ ʃɛf /

noun

1. a cook, esp the principal cook in a restaurant

---

Etymology

Origin of chef

From French, dating back to 1835–45; see origin at chief

Explanation

Someone whose job is cooking food and planning menus at a restaurant is a chef. Many chefs graduate from cooking school, while others learn cooking techniques by observing and working with experienced chefs.. The word chef often specifies someone who cooks fancy or expensive food — in contrast, you might call a man who fries burgers at a fast food place or a woman who makes grilled cheese sandwiches at a diner simply cooks. The chef is generally at the top of the food chain in a restaurant kitchen, the boss of the other workers. Chef is French, short for chef de cuisine, or "head of the kitchen."

Example Sentences

Dr Neil Buttery, a chef and food historian, says these "hyper-regional" dishes are among those most at risk of disappearing.

From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026

The soups, salads, pizzas and other menu offerings are created by chef Kim Floresca, who came to Goop after working at restaurants like Per Se and El Bulli.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

He's settled in his family life too, having married model Holly Ramsay, the daughter of TV chef Gordon, in December.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

Who would have thought a suite of songs that cover being annoyed at TV chef Jamie Oliver and some rich Tesla driver moving into an old flame’s flat would be so comprehensively devastating?

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

The family maintains at least eight country houses, according to books by his former chef and a former bodyguard.

From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden