maître d'

[ mey-ter dee, mey-truh- ]

, plural maî·tre d's.

1. a headwaiter.
2. a steward or butler.
3. the owner or manager of a hotel.

Word History and Origins

Origin of maître d'¹

First recorded in 1815–25; shortening of maître d'hôtel

Example Sentences

The maître d' turned out to be a shortish, heavy-set man with large blue eyes, a silver mane and a thin, pencil-line mustache.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• flight attendant
• hostess
• stewardess
• waiter
• waitress