maître d'hôtel [mey-ter doh-tel , mey-truh ; French r uh tel ]
Word Origin
See more synonyms for maître d'hôtel on Thesaurus.com noun, plural maî·tres d'hô·tel [mey-terz doh-tel , mey-truh z; French r uh tel ] /ˌmeɪ tərz doʊˈtɛl, ˌmeɪ trəz; French ə doʊˈtɛl/ a headwaiter. a steward or butler. the owner or manager of a hotel. Cookery a sauce of melted butter, minced parsley, and lemon juice or vinegar. Show More
Origin of maître d'hôtel 1530–40; < French: master of (the) hotel
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
British Dictionary definitions for maitre d'hotel noun plural maîtres d'hôtel a head waiter or steward the manager or owner of a hotel Show More
Word Origin for maître d'hôtel C16: from French: master of (the) hotel
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Word Origin and History for maitre d'hotel 1530s, "head domestic," from French maître d'hôtel , literally "house-master," from Old French maistre "master; skilled worker, educator" (12c.), from Latin magistrum (see magistrate ). Sense of "hotel manager, manager of a dining room" is from 1890. Shortened form maître d' is attested from 1942; simple maitre from 1899.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
