sous

Etymology 1

noun

1. plural of sou

Etymology 2

noun

1. Obsolete form of sou (“French coin”).
   The moment I cast my eyes upon him, I was predetermined not to give him a single sous […] 1802, Laurence Sterne, A sentimental journey through France and Italy, page 28
2. plural of sous

Etymology 3

noun

1. Short for sous-chef.
   Denise left the Generator [restaurant] in the hands of her sous and took the train to New York to bail out her feckless brother and entertain her parents. 2001, Jonathan Franzen, The Corrections
   A chef always looks out for his sous chef; a sous is always “under” his chef's wing—guided, nurtured, cared for, long after the stoves are turned off and the aprons are hung up. While other cooks are apprenticed to the kitchen, the sous is the lieutenant, the executor of Chef's wishes. 2014, Michael Gibney, Sous Chef: 24 Hours in the Kitchen