maître d'
American-
maître d's
plural
-
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.
All seemed well but the maître d’ seated us at an interior table with no view.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
In the A.I. age, Maggie Hennessy asserts, sparring with a grouchy maître d’ over the phone is part of what makes dining out great.
From Slate ● Jul. 24, 2026
The maître d’ was so rude and they called security on us,” says Bernad.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 27, 2026
"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
Sandi turned to see the maître d' heading in their direction with a tall, dressed-up woman, and behind her, a towering, preoccupied-looking man.
From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
