chef

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A professional cook, especially the head cook in a restaurant.

   The chef prepared a special dish for our table.

2. 2
   noun

   Any person who cooks, especially the main cook at home.

   My dad is the chef of the household and makes dinner every night.

Unadapted borrowing from French chef (from the positions of chef d'office and chef de cuisine), from Old French chief (“head, leader”) (English chief), from Vulgar Latin capus (“head”) (from which also captain, chieftain), from Latin caput (“head”) (possibly related to English cap (“head covering”)). Doublet of cape, capo, caput, and chief through Latin, and head and Howth through Proto-Indo-European.

Topics