sous-chef

American  

[soo-shef, soo-shef] / ˈsuˌʃɛf, suˈʃɛf /

noun

sous-chefs plural

1. the second in command in a kitchen; the person ranking next after the head chef.

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Etymology

Origin of sous-chef

< French, equivalent to sous under (< Latin subtus (adv.) underneath, below) + chef chef

Example Sentences

She’s got main-character energy throughout the series, as a football thrower for Elroy, a homework helper for Judy and a dinner sous-chef for Jane.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

In the hit TV show, the character Sydney Adamu, a Black unapologetically ambitious sous-chef, is attempting to help the show’s hunky, emotionally touchy male protagonist transform his dead brother’s sandwich shop into a Michelin-star restaurant.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 7, 2023

Episode 6 of the FX hit, in which sous-chef Sydney randomly gifts a dish she’s working on, illustrates why some critics try to eat as unknowns.

From Washington Post • Nov. 21, 2022

Plump, red-haired and sassy, she and I immediately hit it off and at her request, I became her sous-chef of sorts.

From Salon • Sep. 25, 2022

I ran back to the kitchen before one of them could offer to be my sous-chef.

From "From the Desk of Zoe Washington" by Janae Marks