What does chef mean?
A chef is a trained professional cook, most precisely the person in overall charge of a restaurant or hotel kitchen, responsible for planning menus, directing food preparation, and supervising other kitchen staff such as sous chefs and line cooks. In everyday use, the word has broadened to cover virtually any skilled cook who prepares food for a living. The term entered English from French in the early nineteenth century, borrowed from phrases like "chef de cuisine" ("head of the kitchen"), and ultimately derives from the Latin word "caput," meaning head — the same root that gives us "chief" and "captain." Because of this history, calling someone a chef implies leadership as well as cooking ability. Today the word also appears in compounds such as "head chef," "sous chef," and "celebrity chef," reflecting both the hierarchical structure of professional kitchens and the cultural prominence cooks now enjoy.
nounA professional cook, especially the chief cook in a restaurant or hotel kitchen who is in charge of food preparation and kitchen staff.
- The chief or head cook in charge of a restaurant or hotel kitchen and its staff.
- Any skilled professional cook, regardless of rank.
"The chef spent the afternoon perfecting a new sauce for the tasting menu."
"After ten years as a sous chef, she finally took over as head chef of her own restaurant."
"He trained in Lyon before working as a pastry chef at a Parisian hotel."
The standard English plural adds -s; it is pronounced /ʃɛfs/.
"Three chefs competed in the final round of the contest."
"Chef" is just French for "chief" — every time you praise a chef's meal, you're literally calling them the boss of the kitchen.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of chef
The word "chef" was borrowed into English from French in the early nineteenth century, originally appearing in longer phrases such as "chef de cuisine," meaning the officer or head of a kitchen. French "chef" itself comes from the Old French "chief," which descends from the Latin "caput," meaning head. This makes "chef" an etymological sibling of English words like "chief," "chieftain," "captain," and "capital," all tracing back to the same Latin root.
Related word forms
How chef is actually used
In modern usage "chef" is often applied loosely to any professional cook, though traditionally it denoted only someone in charge of a kitchen. It carries connotations of training, professionalism, and culinary skill beyond ordinary home cooking. The plural is usually "chefs"; the French-style plural "chefs" (pronounced /ʃɛfs/) is standard in English.
Easily confused with chef
"Chief" is a leader or head of any group or organization, while "chef" specifically means a professional cook; both derive from the same root but have diverged in meaning.