English Explanatory Dictionary

chief

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. The leader or head of a tribe, organisation, business unit, or other group.
  2. Headship, the status of being a chief or leader.
  3. The top part of a shield or escutcheon; more specifically, an ordinary consisting of the upper part of the field cut off by a horizontal line, generally occupying the top third.
  4. The principal part or top of anything.
  5. An informal term of address.
  6. An informal term of address for a Native American or First Nations man.
adj
  1. Primary; principal.
  2. Intimate, friendly.
verb
  1. To smoke cannabis.
name
  1. A township in Mahnomen County, Minnesota, United States.

Pronunciation

/t͡ʃiːf/ en-us-chief.ogg LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-chief.wav

Word forms

chief chiefs chiefer more chief chiefest most chief chiefing chiefed

Etymology

From Middle English cheef, chef, from Old French chef, chief (“leader”), from Vulgar Latin capus, from Latin caput (“head”) (from which also captain, chieftain), from Proto-Italic *kaput, from Proto-Indo-European *káput. Doublet of cape (“point of land”), capo, caput, and chef through Latin (possibly also related to cape (“sleeveless garment”) and cap (“head covering”) from Latin cappa); doublet of head and Howth through Proto-Indo-European.

Synonyms

chieftain leader head director commander governor boss administrator manager

Related words

captain chieftain chef

Derived words

archchief arch-chief band chief base chief big white chief case-in-chief case in chief champion-in-chief champion in chief chiefdom chiefery chiefess chief hare chiefhood chiefie chiefless chiefling chiefly chief of party chief of police chief of staff chief of state chief rent chiefry chiefship chieftess cochief commander in chief commander-in-chief condoled chief crew chief dexter chief editor in chief editor-in-chief examination-in-chief fire chief in chief overchief paramount chief per chief police chief redactor-in-chief subchief tenant-in-chief too many chiefs and not enough Indians tribal chief umpire-in-chief underchief vassal-in-chief war chief air chief marshal assistant chief constable chief cell chief constable chief cook and bottle washer chief cook and bottle-washer chief editor chief executive chief executive officer CEO

Translations

Finnish: johtaja Galician: xefe Icelandic: meistari Russian: команди́р
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