maître d'
American-
a headwaiter.
-
a steward or butler.
-
the owner or manager of a hotel.
Etymology
Origin of maître d'
First recorded in 1815–25; shortening of maître d'hôtel
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"I don't really see him as Fred Sirieix the maître d', I don't see him as anything other than my dad."
From BBC ● Feb. 14, 2024
He knows seemingly every staff member, from the maître d’ to the waiters.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 12, 2023
For much of the game, being a Raiders offensive lineman frequently meant being an oversized maître d’: “Your running back, sir.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 5, 2021
So Bill told me that he summoned the maître d’ over.
From New York Times ● May 13, 2021
My jacket belongs to the restaurant and was offered as a loan by the maître d’, who apparently thought I would feel more comfortable dressed to lead a high-school marching band.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
