maître d'

[mey-ter dee, mey-truh-]

plural

maître 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

While seeking acting jobs, the trade publication reported, Tana started as a dishwasher at the Villa Capri restaurant in Hollywood, before eventually becoming the maitre d’ at La Scala in Beverly Hills.

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Flanked by tuxedoed servers and the maître d’, she announced the founder’s death, mostly silencing the crowded dining room.

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He got into it with the maître d’: “You don’t trust that my date is not going to take pictures?”

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These characters barely raise their voices and often use their abilities on the mundane: Kirby’s Sue vanishes to avoid awkward conversations, Moss-Bachrach’s Ben, in a nod to his breakout role as the maître d’ on “The Bear,” uses his mighty fists to mash garlic.

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“They’re like a private maitre d’ now,” said Nicky Haslam, 84, the English interior designer and social fixture.

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Related Words

• flight attendant 
• hostess 
• stewardess 
• waiter 
• waitress