Standard Lemma guide

headwaiter

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

A waiter who has a supervisory position over the other wait staff; chief waiter.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: maître d', maître d'hôtel

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a dining-room attendant who is in charge of the waiters and the seating of customers

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: captain, maitre d'hotel, maitre d'

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: dining-room attendant, restaurant attendant

History

Etymology

From head + waiter.

Across languages

Translations

40 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Belarusian: метрдатэ́ль (mjetrdatélʹ) — main supervisory waiter
  • Belarusian: мэтрдатэ́ль (metrdatélʹ) — main supervisory waiter
  • Bulgarian: метрдоте́л (metrdotél) — main supervisory waiter
  • Chinese Mandarin: 服務生領班 /服务生领班 (fúwùshēng lǐngbān) — main supervisory waiter
  • Danish: overtjener — main supervisory waiter
  • Dutch: hoofdkelner — main supervisory waiter
  • Esperanto: ĉefkelnero — main supervisory waiter
  • Estonian: ülemkelner — main supervisory waiter
  • Finnish: hovimestari — main supervisory waiter
  • French: maître d’hôtel — main supervisory waiter
  • German: Oberkellner — main supervisory waiter
  • German: Oberkellnerin — main supervisory waiter
  • German: Ober — main supervisory waiter
  • Greek: μετρ ντ’ οτέλ (metr nt’ otél) — main supervisory waiter
  • Hungarian: főpincér — main supervisory waiter
  • Italian: capocameriere — main supervisory waiter
  • Japanese: ボーイ長 (bōi-chō) — main supervisory waiter
  • Japanese: 給仕長 (kyūjichō) — main supervisory waiter
  • Japanese: メートル・ドテル (mētoru-doteru) — main supervisory waiter
  • Japanese: ヘッド・ウェイター (heddo-weitā) — main supervisory waiter
  • Japanese: メートル・ディ (mētoru-di) — main supervisory waiter
  • Korean: 급사장 (geupsajang) — main supervisory waiter
  • Norwegian Bokmål: hovmester — main supervisory waiter
  • Polish: główny kelner — main supervisory waiter
  • Romanian: ospătar-șef — main supervisory waiter
  • Romanian: chelner-șef — main supervisory waiter
  • Romanian: oberchelner — main supervisory waiter
  • Russian: метрдоте́ль (mɛtrdotɛ́lʹ) — main supervisory waiter
  • Russian: метрдоте́ль (metrdotɛ́lʹ) — main supervisory waiter
  • Spanish: jefe de comedor — main supervisory waiter
  • Swedish: hovmästare — main supervisory waiter
  • Turkish: başgarson — main supervisory waiter
  • Turkish: metrdotel — main supervisory waiter
  • Turkish: şef garson — main supervisory waiter
  • Ukrainian: метрдоте́ль (metrdotélʹ) — main supervisory waiter
  • Vietnamese: người đầu bếp — main supervisory waiter
  • Vietnamese: đầu bếp — main supervisory waiter
  • Volapük: lebötan — main supervisory waiter
  • Volapük: hilebötan — main supervisory waiter
  • Volapük: jilebötan — main supervisory waiter