chief (chef)

and a. [ In the cheffe of the choise halle, chosen for the kyng, Was a grounde vp graid with gresis [steps] of Marbill. Destruction of Troy (E. E. T. S.), 1. 1663. Where bene the no sega yes that she dight for thee? The coloured chaplets wrought with a chiefe ? Spenser, Shep. Cal., November. 2. The person highest in authority; the head or head man. Specifically - ( a ) A military commander; the person who leads an army. And David said, Whosoever smiteth the Jebusites first shall be chief and captain. 1 Chron. xi. 6. Such chiefs , as each an army seemed alone. Dryden. (b) A principal, leader, or director in general; especially, the hereditary or the chosen head of a clan or tribe: used as a title particularly for the heads of Scottish Highland clans, and for the controlling or governing heads of uncivilized or semi-civilized tribes. Hail to the chief who in triumph advances! Scott , L. of the L., ii. 19. In Tonga it is supposed that only the chiefs have souls. H. Spencer , Prin. of Sociol., §99. (c) The principal officer of a bureau or division of the civil service, or of an editorial staff, newspaper office, mercantile establishment, or other organized body. 3. The principal or most important part or portion; the bulk or larger part of one thing or of many. The people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed. II. a. 1. Highest in office, authority, rank, or estimation; placed above the rest; principal: as, a chief priest; the chief butler. [ Chief is not now regarded as admitting of degrees of comparison, but formerly the superlative chiefest was often used.] Our kyng which we hild moste chefe vs among Litell hath fro hym def fended our wrong. Rom , of Partenay (E. E. T. S.), 1. 4421. Doeg, an Edomite, the chiefest of the herdmen. 1 Sam. xxi. 7. Among the chief rulers also many believed on him. John xii. 42. Our chiefest courtier, cousin, and our son. Shak., Hamlet, i. 2. Hence-2. Principal or most eminent, in any quality or action; such that others (things, persons, particulars of any kind) are by comparison inferior or subordinate; most important; leading; main; most conspicuous. He was he (you say verray certainly), That euer ther was moste chef of goodne e. Rom . of Partenay (E. E. T. S.), 1. 5302. The hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespa . Ezra ix. 2. From this chief cause these idle praises spring, That themes so easy few forbear to sing. Crabbe, The Village. 3. Intimate; near; close. [In this sense obsolete except in Scotland, where it is still used: as, they are very chief wi' ane an it her.] He [Rab] came limping up, and laid his great jaws in her lap: from that moment they were chief, as she said, James finding him mansuete and civil when he returned. And when med Friends, Chief baron. See baron, 2. - Chief burge . See bur ge , 4.- Chief cone. See cone. - Chief constructor, engineer, justice, magistrate, etc. See the nouns.Chief tangent. See tangent. - Chief tenant, or tenant in capite. See in capite. Syn. 2. First, paramount, supreme, cardinal, capital, prime, vital, especial, e ential, great, grand. My purpose is to rate the rents of all those landes of her Majestie in such sorte, unto those English men which shall take them, as they may be well able to live thereupon, to yeeld her Majestie reasonable cheverye . Spenser, State of Ireland. 2. The landed property of a chief or lord; a demain. When the eldest son had once taken the place of his uncle as the heir to the humbler chieftaincies, he doubtle also obtained that portion of land attached to the Signory or Chiefry which went without partition to the Tanaist. Maine, Early Hist. of Institutions, p. 204. chiefship (chef's hip), n. [ chief + -ship .] The office or rank of chief. In many tribes the chiefship was prudently made hereditary through the female line. The Century , XXVI. 106. chieftain (chef'tān), n. [ chefetain , chef tain , chevetein , cheven tein , etc., chevet aine , capitan us , whence also ult. E. captain , which is thus a doublet of chieftain : see cap tain .] A captain, leader, or commander; a chief; the head of a troop, army, or clan. A chieftain , to the Highlands bound, Cries, "Boatman, do not tarry." Campbell, Lord Ullin's Daughter. It [the tribe] is of sufficient size and importance to constitute a political unit, and po ibly at its apex is one of the numerous chieftains whom the Irish records call Kings. Maine , Early Hist. of Institutions, p. 92. =Syn. Commander , Leader , etc. See chief . chieftaincy (chef'tan-si), n. [ chieftain +-cy.] The rank, dignity, or office of a chieftain. The laird of Raarsa has sometimes disputed the chief taincy of the clan with Macleod of Skie. Johnson, Letter to Mrs. Thrale. [ chieftain +