chief

chief

English

Etymology

From Middle English cheef, chef, from Old French chef, chief (“leader”), from Vulgar Latin capus (from which also captain, chieftain), from Latin caput (“head”) (English cap (“head covering”)), from Proto-Indo-European *kauput- (English head). Doublet of chef.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /t͡ʃiːf/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -iːf

Noun

chief (plural chiefs)

1. A leader or head of a group of people, organisation, etc. [from 13th c.]
   • 1994, Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom, Abacus, published 2010, page 4:

     My father, Gadla Henry Mphakanyiswa, was a chief by both blood and custom.

   All firefighters report to the fire chief.

2. (heraldry) 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. [from 15th c.]
   • 1889, Charles Norton Elvin, A Dictionary of Heraldry:

     When the Chief is Charged with any figure, in blazon it is said to be "On a Chief".

3. The principal part or top of anything.
4. (sometimes ironic) An informal term of address.
   • 1951, J. D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye, Little, Brown and Company, OCLC 287628, page 119:

     “How old are you, chief?” the elevator guy said.

   1. (US, Canada, offensive) An informal term of address for a Native American or First Nations man.

Synonyms

• chieftain
• See also Thesaurus:boss

Hyponyms

• chiefess (female chief)

Derived terms

Pages starting with “chief”.

Terms derived from chief (noun)

• air chief marshal
• arch-chief
• band chief
• base chief
• big white chief
• case-in-chief
• case in chief
• champion in chief
• champion-in-chief
• chief cell
• chief constable
• chief cook and bottle-washer
• chief cook and bottle washer
• chiefess
• chief executive
• chief executive officer/CEO
• chief financial officer
• chief hare
• chief information officer
• chief legal officer
• chief magistrate
• chief mate
• chief minister
• chief of party
• chief of staff
• chief of state
• chief operating officer
• chief petty officer
• chief petty officer first class
• chief petty officer second class
• chief rent
• chief scientist
• chieftess
• 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
• master chief petty officer
• police chief
• senior chief petty officer
• tenant-in-chief
• too many chiefs and not enough Indians
• tribal chief
• war chief

 

Related terms

• captain
• chef
• chieftain

Descendants

• → Japanese: チーフ (chīfu)
• → Swahili: chifu

Translations

leader of group, etc.

Albanian: prijës (sq) m, pringj m Apache: Western Apache: nantʼán Arabic: شَيْخ‎ (ar) m (šayḵ), قَائِد‎ m (qāʾid) Armenian: առաջնորդ (hy) (aṙaǰnord) Belarusian: правады́р m (pravadýr), гало́ўны (be) m (halóŭny), во́дца m (vódca), важа́к m (važák) Bulgarian: вожд (bg) m (vožd), главата́р (bg) m (glavatár), водач (bg) m (vodač) Catalan: cap (ca) m Central Sierra Miwok: hajá·po-, má·jyŋy- f Cherokee: ᎤᎬᏫᏳᎯ (ugvwiyuhi) Chichewa: mfumu Chickasaw: minko' Chinese: Mandarin: 頭子／头子 (zh) (tóuzi) Czech: náčelník (cs) m, šéf (cs) m Egyptian: (wr m) Estonian: pealik Finnish: johtaja (fi) French: chef (fr) m Friulian: cjâf m, dûs m Galician: xefe (gl) m, caporal (gl) m, coudel m, bren m German: Häuptling (de) m, Oberhaupt (de) n Greek: αρχηγός (el) m or f (archigós) Ancient: προστάτης m (prostátēs), (Epic) ὄρχαμος m (órkhamos) Hindi: चीफ (hi) m (cīph), प्रधान (hi) m (pradhān), श्रेष्ठ (hi) m (śreṣṭh), मुख्य (hi) m (mukhya), शेख (hi) m (śekh), मालिक (hi) m (mālik), मालक (hi) m (mālak), सरदार (hi) m (sardār) Icelandic: höfðingi (is) m (e.g. chief of a tribe), foringi (is) m, leiðtogi (is) m Ido: chefo (io) Italian: capo (it) m Japanese: 長 (ja) (ちょう, chō), チーフ (ja) (chīfu) Khmer: មេ (km) (mei) Kurdish: Northern Kurdish: serok (ku) Kyrgyz: башчы (ky) (başçı) Ladino: kapo, kapu (Monastir), shef, el gadol Lakota: itȟáŋčhaŋ, wičháša itȟáŋčhaŋ Latin: prīnceps (la) m, praepositus, procer m Macedonian: главатар m (glavatar), поглавар m (poglavar), главешина f (glavešina), старешина m (starešina), водач m (vodač) Malayalam: തലവൻ (ml) (talavaṉ), നേതാവ് (ml) (nētāvŭ) Mansaka: dato Manx: ard-er m, ard-ghooinney m Maori: rangatira (mi), poumatua, ariki (mi), ringawhero Mi'kmaq: saqamaw anim, saqama'sgw anim Munsee: kíhkay Nandi: olaitorio Navajo: naatʼáanii Ngarrindjeri: rupelli Norman: chef m Norwegian: Bokmål: høvding (no) m Nynorsk: høvding m Occitan: cap (oc) m Ojibwe: ogimaa Old Church Slavonic: Cyrillic: вождь m (voždĭ) Old East Slavic: вожь m (vožĭ) Old Turkic: 𐰋𐰏‎ (beg) Ottawa: gimaa Pashto: ملک‎ m (malak) Polish: wódz (pl) m Portuguese: chefe (pt) m, líder (pt) m or f Rapa Nui: 'ariki Romanian: căpetenie (ro) f, șef (ro) m Russian: вождь (ru) m (voždʹ) (of a tribe), гла́вный (ru) m (glávnyj) Samoan: matai Sanskrit: शिरस् (sa) n (śíras) Scottish Gaelic: ceannard m Serbo-Croatian: poglavar (sh) m, poglavica (sh) m, vođa (sh) m, glàvār (sh) m Slovak: náčelník m, šéf m Slovene: glavar m Spanish: jefe (es) m Swahili: chifu (sw), jumbe Swedish: hövding (sv) c (of a tribe), ledare (sv) c Tagalog: puno (tl) Talysh: Asalemi: رئیس‎ (rais), رییس‎ (rais) Tamil: தலைவன் (ta) (talaivaṉ) Taos: łòwa’ána, tə̀ot’ų́nena (of town or house) Tocharian B: tāś Tok Pisin: bigman Ukrainian: вождь (voždʹ), головни́й (holovnýj), проводи́р (uk) m (provodýr) Westrobothnian: ö´fwĕrhējt f Zulu: inkosi (zu) class 9/6

head of an organization

Arabic: رَئِيس‎ m (raʾīs), مُدِير‎ m (mudīr), شَيْخ‎ (ar) m (šayḵ) Armenian: պետ (hy) (pet), ղեկավար (hy) (łekavar), տնօրեն (hy) (tnōren) Belarusian: кіраўні́к m (kiraŭník), нача́льнiк m (načálʹnik), галава́ (be) m (halavá), шэф m (šef) Bulgarian: шеф (bg) m (šef), нача́лник (bg) m (načálnik), ръководи́тел (bg) m (rǎkovodítel) Catalan: cap (ca) m Chinese: Mandarin: 長／长 (zh) (zhǎng), 頭／头 (zh) (tóu) Czech: náčelník (cs) m (fire chief), šéf (cs) m Finnish: johtaja (fi), päällikkö (fi) French: chef (fr) m Galician: xefe (gl) m German: Chef (de) m, (slang) Boss (de) m Greek: αρχηγός (el) m or f (archigós) Hindi: चीफ (hi) m (cīph), रईस (hi) m (raīs), शेख (hi) m (śekh), सरदार (hi) m (sardār) Icelandic: yfirmaður (is) m, forstöðumaður (is) m, foringi (is) m Ido: chefo (io) Italian: direzione (it) f Japanese: 長 (ja) (ちょう, chō) Lakota: itȟáŋčhaŋ, wičháša itȟáŋčhaŋ Macedonian: шеф m (šef) Manx: ard-er m, ard-ghooinney m Maori: whakataka, rangatira (mi), ringawhero Norman: chef m Ojibwe: ogimaa Persian: فرنشین‎ (fa) (farnešin), مدیر‎ (fa) (modir) Polish: szef (pl) m, kierownik (pl) m, naczelnik (pl) m Portuguese: chefe (pt) m, manda-chuva (pt) m Romanian: șef (ro) m Russian: глава́ (ru) m (glavá), нача́льник (ru) m (načálʹnik), руководи́тель (ru) m (rukovodítelʹ), шеф (ru) m (šef) Scottish Gaelic: ceannard m Serbo-Croatian: šef (sh) m, шеф m Slovak: náčelník m, šéf m Slovene: načelnik m Spanish: jefe (es) m Swedish: chef (sv) c Tagalog: puno (tl) Tocharian B: tāś Ukrainian: голова́ (uk) (holová), нача́льник (načálʹnyk), керівни́к (uk) (kerivnýk), шеф m (šef) Zulu: inhloko class 9/10

heraldic term

Albanian: pringj m Catalan: cap (ca) m Czech: hlava štítu f Dutch: schildhoofd n Finnish: lakio French: chef (fr) m Galician: xefe (gl) m German: Schildhaupt n Italian: capo (it) m Polish: głowica (pl) f Portuguese: chefe (pt) m Russian: глава́ (ru) f (glavá) Spanish: jefe (es) m Swedish: ginstam c, chef (sv) c, sköldhuvud n

informal address

Finnish: johtaja (fi) Galician: xefe (gl) m Icelandic: meistari (is) m

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

Japanese: (please verify) 長 (ちょう, chō) (1,2); (please verify) 長官 (ちょうかん, chōkan) (1,2) Serbo-Croatian: (please verify) nečelnik, (please verify) vožd (sh), (please verify) vodja Swedish: (please verify) hövding (sv) c (1) Turkish: (please verify) ağa (tr)

Adjective

chief (comparative chiefer or more chief, superlative chiefest or most chief)

1. Primary; principal.

   Negligence was the chief cause of the disaster.

   • 1727, Tobias Swinden, “The Improbability of Hell Fire’s Being in, or about the Center of the Earth”, in An Enquiry into the Nature and Place of Hell. […] With a Supplement, wherein the Notions of A[rch]b[isho]p [John] Tillotson, Dr. Lupton, and Others, as to the Eternity of Hell Torments, are Impartially Represented. And the Rev. Mr. Wall’s Sentiments of this Learned Work, 2nd edition, London: Printed by H. P. for Tho[mas] Astley, at the Dolphin and Crown in St. Paul's Church-Yard, OCLC 645158554, pages 98–99:

     […] 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 ſometimes little or nothing at all; we muſt conclude, that they are only particular Fires, probably of the Sun’s kindling at firſt, and ſince continued by the caſual and incidental Applications of that Pabulum, which thoſe Part of the Earth adminiſter to them.

   • 2011, Roy F. Baumeister, John Tierney, Willpower, →ISBN, page 113:

     Researchers found that one of the chief effects of drinking was to reduce people's ability to monitor their own behavior.

2. (Scotland) Intimate, friendly.
   • 2006, James Robertson: The Testament of Gideon Mack, p 324:

     '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 knows how chief you and she were. It was an unfitting relationship for a minister while she was alive, and it is equally unfitting for you to do her a favour like this now she's dead.'

Translations

primary; principal

Catalan: principal (ca) Czech: hlavní (cs) Galician: principal (gl) German: hauptsächlich (de), primär (de) Greek: κύριος (el) (kýrios) Ancient: κεφάλαιος (kephálaios) Hindi: चीफ (hi) (cīph), मुख्य (hi) (mukhya), प्रधान (hi) (pradhān), श्रेष्ठ (hi) (śreṣṭh) Icelandic: aðal- (is), megin- Latin: princeps (la), potissimus Maori: matua Portuguese: chefe (pt), principal (pt) Russian: гла́вный (ru) (glávnyj), основно́й (ru) (osnovnój) Sanskrit: प्रधान (sa) (pradhāna) Spanish: principal (es)

Verb

chief (third-person singular simple present chiefs, present participle chiefing, simple past and past participle chiefed)

1. (US, slang) To smoke cannabis.
   • 2012, Marquis "Cream" Cureton, When the Smoke Clears (page 268)

     He chiefed on the bud like a pro, taking long deep hits and holding it within until he had inhaled as much of the weed smoke as he could.

See also

• chef

Anagrams

• cheif, fiche, fiché

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Middle English

Noun

chief

1. Alternative form of chef

Adjective

chief

1. Alternative form of chef

---

Middle French

Etymology

From Old French chief.

Noun

chief m (plural chiefs)

1. head

Descendants

• French: chef (see there for further descendants)

---

Old French

Alternative forms

• cap (Occitanism found in La Vie de Saint Léger, circa 980)
• chef, cief

Etymology

First known attestation 881 in The Sequence of Saint Eulalia. From Vulgar Latin capus, from Latin caput.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈtʃjeːf/

Noun

chief m (oblique plural chiés, nominative singular chiés, nominative plural chief)

1. (anatomy) head
   • circa 1170, Chrétien de Troyes, Érec et Énide:

     Le chief li desarme et la face.

     He exposed his head and his face.

2. leader, chief
3. front (foremost side of something)

Descendants

• Middle French: chief
  • French: chef (see there for further descendants)
• Norman: chef
• → Middle English: chef
  • English: chief
  • Scots: chief
• → Old Spanish: xefe
  • Spanish: jefe, gefe; xefe
    • → English: jefe
    • → Cebuano: hepe
    • → Tagalog: hepe
  • → Asturian: xefe
  • → Galician: xefe
  • → Portuguese: chefe