maître d'

<font size="-1" face="arial, helvetica"> <p> <strong> <font color="#000066">Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 26, 2021 is:</font> </strong> </p> <p> <strong>maître d&#039;</strong> &#149; \may-truh-DEE\&nbsp; &#149; <em>noun</em><br /> <p>A <em>maître d'</em> (or <em>maitre d'</em>) is the headwaiter of the dining-room staff of a restaurant or hotel.</p> <p>// The <em>maître d'</em> ushered the celebrity couple to a private table at the back of the restaurant.</p> <p><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/maitre%20d%27">See the entry ></a></p> </p> <p> <strong>Examples:</strong><br /> <p>"Mike is part of a long-standing trio responsible for making Lucca's one of Helena's premier fine-dining establishments. … Rounding out the team is Ray Spooner, <em>maître d'</em>, who not only greets and seats patrons but starts the evening off by eloquently describing the featured wines." — Donnie Sexton, <em>The Billings (Montana) Gazette</em>, 19 Oct. 2021</p> </p> <p> <strong>Did you know?</strong><br /> <p><em>Maître d'</em> is short for <em><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ma%C3%AEtre%20d'h%C3%B4tel">maître d'hôtel</a></em>, which comes from French and literally means "master of the house." <em>Maître d'hôtel</em> was used in English for a head butler or <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/steward">steward</a> of a household before it referred to the head of a dining-room staff. For the record, the plural of <em>maître d'hôtel</em> is <em>maîtres d'hôtel</em> whereas the plural of <em>maître d'</em> is <em>maître d's</em>.</p> <br /><br /> </p> </font>