maître d'hôtel

[mey-ter doh-tel, mey-truh, me-tr^uh doh-tel]

noun

plural

maîtres d'hôtel 

1. a headwaiter.

2. a steward or butler.

3. the owner or manager of a hotel.

4. Cooking.,  a sauce of melted butter, minced parsley, and lemon juice or vinegar.

maître d'hôtel

/ ˌmɛtrə dəʊˈtɛl, mɛtrə dotɛl /

noun

1. a head waiter or steward

2. the manager or owner of a hotel

Word History and Origins

Origin of maître d'hôtel¹

First recorded in 1530–40; from French: “master of (the) house”

Word History and Origins

Origin of maître d'hôtel¹

C16: from French: master of (the) hotel