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chef

Pronunciation: /ʃɛf/

The English word “chef” has 8 meanings listed here.

noun

  1. The presiding cook in the kitchen of a large household.
  2. The head cook of a restaurant or other establishment.
  3. Any cook.
  4. One who manufactures illegal drugs; a cook.
  5. A reliquary in the shape of a head.

verb

  1. To work as a chef; to prepare and cook food professionally.
  2. To stab with a knife, to shank.
  3. To impress others.

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…

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