sommelier

American  

[suhm-uhl-yay, saw-muh-lyay] / ˌsʌm əlˈjeɪ, sɔ məˈljeɪ /

noun

• sommeliers
  plural

1. a waiter, as in a club or restaurant, who is in charge of wines.

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sommelier British  

/ ˈsʌməlˌjeɪ /

noun

1. a wine steward in a restaurant or hotel

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• sommeliers
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of sommelier

1920–25; < French, Middle French, dissimilated form of *sommerier, derivative of sommier one charged with arranging transportation, equivalent to somme burden (< Late Latin sagma horse load < Greek ságma covering, pack saddle) + -ier -ier ²

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Explanation

If you want to impress your dining companions at a fancy restaurant, be sure to refer to the special waiter who serves wine as a sommelier. You're unlikely to see a sommelier unless you eat at an expensive restaurant where there is a carefully selected menu of wine chosen by the sommelier to complement the food. She will also serve and pour the wine into glasses, and often wait for the diners to taste and approve of it. In French, the word sommelier literally means "butler," and it's been used since the 19th century to mean "wine steward" or "wine waiter."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sommelier sommeliers

It’s rare for a wine to jump from niche sommelier favorite to mainstream staple, making its way onto everyday neighborhood bar menus.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026

The airline started streaming a documentary from its master sommelier, “The Swirled Cup,” this summer on its flights.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

Olivia Beech, America’s youngest female sommelier, tragically lost her sense of taste during COVID, but relied on her sharp sense of smell until she was fired for her deception.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 12, 2026

Martynas Zemavicius, a former sommelier in London restaurants, founded his company Acala in Lithuania to produce tea-based drinks that mimic the minerality, pH level and sugar content of wine.

From Barron's ● Feb. 12, 2026

The sommelier brought the beer, tall, beaded on the outside of the steins, and cold.

From "The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway

Gao, who trained in France, is helping Chinese wine expand internationally, as sommeliers seek to entice drinkers bored by Bordeaux and Barolo with new wine experiences.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

It led him to become one of only two certified water sommeliers in South Africa and fewer than 100 worldwide, he said.

From Barron's ● Jan. 29, 2026

To sommeliers like him, spring or mineral waters are preferable because they come from a natural source; they are rich in calcium, magnesium and sodium.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2024

With just a sniff and a sip, trained sommeliers can often tell what region a wine came from: Douro in Portugal, Barossa in Australia, Napa or Sonoma in California.

From Scientific American ● Sep. 21, 2023

“Our water sommeliers have designed the drinks to suit your needs and mood,” says Roia Jabari, the managing director.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 14, 2023

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