noun, plural maî·tres d’hô·tel [mey-terz doh-tel, mey-truh z; French me-truh doh-tel] /ˌmeɪ tərz doʊˈtɛl, ˌmeɪ trəz; French ˌmɛ trə 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.
noun plural maîtres d’hôtel
- a head waiter or steward
- the manager or owner of a 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.