What does "chef" mean?
The presiding cook in the kitchen of a large household.
Chef
/ʃɛf/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The presiding cook in the kitchen of a large household.
- Grammar: chef is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: baker, boss, bwana, chef de cuisine.
- Useful contrasts: amateur, bus the tables, dishwashers.
- Usage evidence: It doesn't taste all that great for all the effort and technique the chef put into it.
How to use "chef"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "chef" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "chef" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "chef" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "chef" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "chef" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "baker" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "chef", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 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 a professional cook wordnet
- 3 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."
- 4 Any cook.
"My partner is the chef of the household, while I do most of the cleaning."
- 5 One who manufactures illegal drugs; a cook. slang
"But trying to stop all the nation's meth chefs makes as much sense as building a wall along the Mexican border."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 A reliquary in the shape of a head. historical
Verb
- 1 To work as a chef; to prepare and cook food professionally. informal, stative
"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 […]"
- 2 To stab with a knife, to shank. Multicultural-London-English, transitive
"He got cheffed up proper."
- 3 To impress others. Internet
"thinkin' that I be cheffin'.'"
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"It doesn't taste all that great for all the effort and technique the chef put into it."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "chef"?
Common synonyms include: baker, boss, bwana, chef de cuisine, chief, chief cook.
How do you use "chef" in a sentence?
It doesn't taste all that great for all the effort and technique the chef put into it.
How do you pronounce "chef"?
Pronounced /ʃɛf/.
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.