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chef

head

noun shef Common

Origin: Latin 'caput' (head)

Also means

chief

Usage Note

Chef in French originally means 'head' (of a group, organization, or state) — chef d'état is 'head of state'. The kitchen sense ('chef de cuisine') is where English borrowed the word. The gender is masculine for both male and female referents in formal usage, though cheffe is increasingly used as a feminine form in modern French.

Examples

"Le chef explique le plan."

Natural Translation

The chief explains the plan.

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