a professional cook
"The chef prepared a delicious meal for the guests in the restaurant kitchen."
The presiding cook in the kitchen of a large household.
"The grand chef oversaw the elaborate meals prepared daily for the entire extended family at their sprawling estate."
In plain English: A chef is someone who cooks food professionally, usually working in restaurants to prepare meals for customers.
"The chef prepared a delicious meal for all his guests."
Usage: Use this word to refer specifically to the head cook who manages other staff in a professional kitchen, rather than any person preparing meals at home. It is often confused with "cook," which can describe anyone who prepares food regardless of their role or training level.
To work as a chef; to prepare and cook food professionally.
"After years of training in France, she finally began her career by working as a chef at a Michelin-starred restaurant."
In plain English: To chef something means to cook it with great skill and creativity, usually by adding fancy ingredients or techniques that make it taste amazing.
"The chef will not you to cook if you have no experience in the kitchen."
The word chef comes directly from French chef, meaning "head" or "leader," which was originally used to describe the person in charge of a kitchen staff. It entered English as an unadapted borrowing that retained its original sense, distinguishing it from other related words like chief and captain.