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maître d'

An informal American shortening of 'maître d'hôtel,' the head waiter or manager of the dining room in a restaurant.

ˌmeɪtɹə ˈdiː214 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026+ Add a definition
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#1·Apr 28, 2026

An informal American shortening of 'maître d'hôtel,' the head waiter or manager of the dining room in a restaurant. The full French title literally means 'master of the house.' In casual American usage, the term has been clipped to just 'maître d'' (pronounced 'may-truh dee') and refers to the person who oversees reservations, greets guests, and manages floor staff. Typically associated with upscale dining establishments, the maître d' is often the first point of contact for diners.

She slipped the maître d' a twenty and was immediately shown to the best table in the house.
Origin: Shortened from French 'maître d'hôtel' (master of the house/hotel); the informal clipping to 'maître d'' is primarily an American English development. Editorial expansion authored on Slangora.
For parents

"maître d'" means: An informal American shortening of 'maître d'hôtel,' the head waiter or manager of the dining room in a restaurant. The full French title li.... This is informal slang, common in casual speech, texting and social media, but not appropriate for school work, applications or professional settings. There is no real cause for concern in itself; it is everyday peer vocabulary. If your child uses it, a light comment about audience and register is usually enough — no need to escalate. Context, more than the word, tells you whether to follow up.

For ESL learners

"maître d'" means: An informal American shortening of 'maître d'hôtel,' the head waiter or manager of the dining room in a restaurant. The full French title li.... Register: informal slang, fine in casual conversation, texting and social media but not in academic essays, business writing or formal speech. Note the regional or dialect label (American) — usage may sound odd outside that variety. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word

Cluster: authority_figure
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#2·Apr 27, 2026

(informal, chiefly, _, US) A headwaiter.

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For specific readers

"maître d'" means: An informal American shortening of 'maître d'hôtel,' the head waiter or manager of the dining room in a restaurant. The full French title li.... This is informal slang, common in casual speech, texting and social media, but not appropriate for school work, applications or professional settings. There is no real cause for concern in itself; it is everyday peer vocabulary. If your child uses it, a light comment about audience and register is usually enough — no need to escalate. Context, more than the word, tells you whether to follow up.

Why is this section here?

Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.

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