chef

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   The presiding cook in the kitchen of a large household.

   The Chef's peace of mind was restor'd, And in due time a banquet was placed on the board.

2. 2
   noun

   The head cook of a restaurant or other establishment.

   The cause of the disturbance, it appeared, was the angry little chef of Sir Francis Clavering's culinary establishment.

3. 3
   noun

   Any cook.

   My partner is the chef of the household, while I do most of the cleaning.

4. 4
   noun

   One who manufactures illegal drugs; a cook.

   But trying to stop all the nation's meth chefs makes as much sense as building a wall along the Mexican border.

5. 5
   verb

   To work as a chef; to prepare and cook food professionally.

   It was Brick who talked on alumni relations with the active chapters and who cheffed at our steak fry (more of that later) and Mrs. Cowles who took over […]

6. 6
   verb

   To stab with a knife, to shank.

   He got cheffed up proper.

7. 7
   verb

   To impress others.

   thinkin' that I be cheffin'.'

8. 8
   noun

   a professional cook

Etymology

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.