maître d'
American-
maître d's
plural
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a headwaiter.
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a steward or butler.
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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.
The maître d’ escorted us to a banquette near a window facing northeast.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 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
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
“After we spoke, I remembered some things. When I saw your mother in the restaurant, I asked the maître d’ to tell her that we’d be departing soon.
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
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.
