maître d'
Americanplural
maître d's-
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.
Flanked by tuxedoed servers and the maître d’, she announced the founder’s death, mostly silencing the crowded dining room.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 17, 2025
"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
Feathered showgirls sauntered by as the maître d’ took our reservation and escorted us to The Brown Room, an alcove with a fireplace where Stewart herself dined at the restaurant’s grand opening on Aug. 12.
From Washington Post • Aug. 19, 2022
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.
