English Explanatory Dictionary

sachem

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A chief of one or several Native American tribe(s), especially of the Algonquians; a sagamore.
  2. A boss, a leader.
  3. An eminent member of a group, or an eminent person in society; a sagamore.
  4. A high-ranking officer of the Tammany Hall political organization.
  5. A butterfly of the Americas, Atalopedes campestris.

Pronunciation

/ˈseɪt͡ʃəm/ /ˈsæt͡ʃəm/

Word forms

sachem sachems

Etymology

Borrowed from Narragansett sachem; compare Mi'kmaq saqamaw (“chief”) and Unami sakima (“chief”), all ultimately from Proto-Algonquian *sa·kima·wa. Doublet of sagamore.

Synonyms

administrator boss chief commander director governor jefe head head man higher-up honcho leader manager master overseer sachem suit superintendent superior supervisor

Related words

sagamore sagamoreship

Derived words

sachemdom sachemic sachemship
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