cordon bleu

 
Pronunciation: /ˌkɔːdɒ̃ ˈbləː/

adjective

Cookery
  • of the highest class: a cordon bleu chef
  • [postpositive] denoting a dish consisting of an escalope of veal or chicken rolled, filled with cheese and ham, and then fried in breadcrumbs.

noun

  • 1a cook of the highest class.
  • 2 (cordon-bleu or cordon-bleu finch) an African waxbill that is popular as a cage bird. The male has a blue face, breast, and tail, a brown back, and a red bill.
    • Genus Uraeginthus, family Estrildidae: three species

Origin:

mid 18th century (as a noun, often specifically denoting a first-class cook): French, literally 'blue ribbon'. The blue ribbon once signified the highest order of chivalry in the reign of the Bourbon kings