/t͡ʃiːf/
OriginFrom 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.
- The leader or head of a tribe, organisation, business unit, or other group.
“In virtue of this privilege, in testimony of my affectionate respect for a revered chief, in conformity with what I believe to be the wish of all the Members of the scientific department, over which I”
“My father, Gadla Henry Mphakanyiswa, was a chief by both blood and custom.”
“All firefighters report to the fire chief.”
- uncountableHeadship, the status of being a chief or leader.
“Bob is our troubleshooter in chief.”
- 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.
“When the Chief is Charged with any figure, in blazon it is said to be "On a Chief".”
“The shield was silver, charged with a red cross voided (that is, with the centre cut out and only the edges left), between in chief (that is, above the horizontal limb of the cross) two black dragon's”
- The principal part or top of anything.
- ironic, sometimesAn informal term of address.
““How old are you, chief?” the elevator guy said.”
- Primary; principal.
“Negligence was the chief cause of the disaster.”
“[…] But when we find that they [volcanoes] are but few in Number, and the chiefeſt of thoſe too near the torrid Zone, and from their Tops to iſſue forth, now clear Fire, then thick, black Smoke, and ſ”
“Researchers found that one of the chief effects of drinking was to reduce people's ability to monitor their own behavior.”
- ScotlandIntimate, friendly.
“'You’re doing it because she was your friend, not because she was a parishioner, and certainly not because of the Declaratory Articles,' Macmurray said, pushing himself forward on his seat. 'Everybody”
Formschiefs(plural) · chiefer(comparative) · more chief(comparative) · chiefest(superlative) · most chief(superlative) · chiefs(present, singular, third-person) · chiefing(participle, present) · chiefed(participle, past) · chiefed(past)