chiefer

noun

1. the head or leader of an organized body of people; the person highest in authority: the chief of police.
2. the head or ruler of a tribe or clan: an Indian chief.
3. (initial capital letter) U.S. Army. a title of some advisers to the Chief of Staff, who do not, in most instances, command the troop units of their arms or services: Chief of Engineers; Chief Signal Officer.
4. Informal. boss or leader: We’ll have to talk to the chief about this.
5. Heraldry.
   1. the upper area of an escutcheon.
   2. an ordinary occupying this area.

adjective

6. highest in rank or authority: the chief priest; the chief administrator.
7. most important; principal: his chief merit; the chief difficulty.

adverb

8. Archaic. chiefly; principally.

Idioms

9. in chief,
   1. in the chief position; highest in rank (used in combination): editor in chief; commander in chief.
   2. Heraldry.in the upper part of an escutcheon.

noun

1. the head, leader, or most important individual in a group or body of people
2. another word for chieftain (def. 2)
3. heraldry the upper third of a shield
4. in chief primarily; especially

adjective

5. (prenominal)
   1. most important; principal
   2. highest in rank or authority

adverb

6. archaic principally

adj.

c.1300, “highest in rank or power; most important or prominent; supreme, best,” from Old French chief “chief, principal, first” (10c., Modern French chef), from Vulgar Latin *capum (also source of Spanish and Portuguese cabo, Italian capo, Provençal cap), from Latin caput “head,” also “leader, guide, chief person; summit; capital city” (see capitulum).

n.

c.1300, “head, leader, captain; the principal or most important part of anything;” from Old French chief “leader, ruler, head” of something, “capital city” (10c., Modern French chef), from Vulgar Latin *capum, from Latin caput “head,” also “leader, chief person; summit; capital city” (see capitulum). Meaning “head of a clan” is from 1570s; later extended to American Indian tribes. Commander-in-chief attested from 1660s.