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.
a.
the upper area of an escutcheon.
b.
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.
—Idiom
9.
in chief,
a.
in the chief position; highest in rank (used in combination): editor in chief; commander in chief.
b.
Heraldry. in the upper part of an escutcheon.
[Origin: 1250–1300; ME < AF chief, chef, OF chef < VL *capum, re-formation of L caputhead]
—Related forms
chiefless, adjective
chiefship, noun
—Synonyms 7. foremost, leading, prime, paramount, cardinal. See capital1.
One who is highest in rank or authority; a leader.
A chief petty officer.
Nautical The chief engineer of a ship.
Slang A boss.
Heraldry The upper section of a shield.
The most important or valuable part.
adj.
Highest in rank, authority, or office.
Most important or influential. See Usage Note at absolute.
adv.
Archaic
Chiefly.
[Middle English chef, from Old French, from Latin caput, head; see kaput- in Indo-European roots.]
chief'dom n., chief'ship' n.
Synonyms: These adjectives refer to what is first in rank or in importance. Chief applies to a person of the highest authority: a chief magistrate.
Used figuratively, chief implies maximum importance or value: her chief joy. Principal applies to someone or something of the first order in power or significance: their principal source of entertainment. Main applies to what exceeds others in extent, size, or importance: the main building on the campus. Leading suggests personal magnetism, a record of achievement, or capacity for influencing others: one of the leading physicians of the city. Foremost emphasizes the sense of having forged ahead of others: the foremost research scientist of the day. Primary stresses first in the sense of origin, sequence, or development: primary school.
It can also mean first in the sense of "fundamental": the primary function of this machine. Prime applies to what is first in comparison with others and to what is of the best quality: a theory of prime significance; a prime Burgundy.
most important element; "the chief aim of living"; "the main doors were of solid glass"; "the principal rivers of America"; "the principal example"; "policemen were primary targets"; "the master bedroom"; "a master switch"
noun
1.
a person who is in charge; "the head of the whole operation" [syn: head]
2.
a person who exercises control over workers; "if you want to leave early you have to ask the foreman" [syn: foreman]
Chief Lake, WI (CDP, FIPS 14440) Location: 45.92664 N, 91.33277 W Population (1990): 570 (419 housing units) Area: 54.7 sq km (land), 6.5 sq km (water)
A*chieve"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Achieved; p. pr. & vb. n. Achieving.] [OE. acheven, OF. achever, achiever, F. achever, to finish; [`a] (L. ad) + OF. chief, F. chef, end, head, fr. L. caput head. See Chief.]1. To carry on to a final close; to bring out into a perfected state; to accomplish; to perform; -- as, to achieve a feat, an exploit, an enterprise. Supposing faculties and powers to be the same, far more may be achieved in any line by the aid of a capital, invigorating motive than without it. --I. Taylor. 2. To obtain, or gain, as the result of exertion; to succeed in gaining; to win. Some are born great, some achieve greatness. --Shak. Thou hast achieved our liberty. --Milton. Note: [[Obs]., with a material thing as the aim.] Show all the spoils by valiant kings achieved. --Prior. He hath achieved a maid That paragons description. --Shak. 3. To finish; to kill. [Obs.] --Shak. Syn: To accomplish; effect; fulfill; complete; execute; perform; realize; obtain. See Accomplish.
Cab"bage\ (k[a^]b"b[asl]j), n. [OE. cabage, fr. F. cabus headed (of cabbages), chou cabus headed cabbage, cabbage head; cf. It. capuccio a little head, cappuccio cowl, hood, cabbage, fr. capo head, L. caput, or fr. It. cappa cape. See Chief, Cape.] (Bot.) 1. An esculent vegetable of many varieties, derived from the wild Brassica oleracea of Europe. The common cabbage has a compact head of leaves. The cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, etc., are sometimes classed as cabbages. 2. The terminal bud of certain palm trees, used, like, cabbage, for food. See Cabbage tree, below. 3. The cabbage palmetto. See below. Cabbage aphis (Zo["o]l.), a green plant-louse (Aphis brassic[ae]) which lives upon the leaves of the cabbage. Cabbage beetle (Zo["o]l.), a small, striped flea-beetle (Phyllotreta vittata) which lives, in the larval state, on the roots, and when adult, on the leaves, of cabbage and other cruciferous plants. Cabbage butterfly (Zo["o]l.), a white butterfly (Pieris rap[ae] of both Europe and America, and the allied P. oleracea, a native American species) which, in the larval state, devours the leaves of the cabbage and the turnip. See Cabbage worm, below. Cabbage fly (Zo["o]l.), a small two-winged fly (Anthomyia brassic[ae]), which feeds, in the larval or maggot state, on the roots of the cabbage, often doing much damage to the crop. Cabbage head, the compact head formed by the leaves of a cabbage; -- contemptuously or humorously, and colloquially, a very stupid and silly person; a numskull. Cabbage palmetto, a species of palm tree (Sabal Palmetto) found along the coast from North Carolina to Florida. Cabbage rose (Bot.), a species of rose (Rosa centifolia) having large and heavy blossoms. Cabbage tree, Cabbage palm, a name given to palms having a terminal bud called a cabbage, as the Sabal Palmetto of the United States, and the Euterpe oleracea and Oreodoxa oleracea of the West Indies. Cabbage worm (Zo["o]l.), the larva of several species of moths and butterflies, which attacks cabbages. The most common is usually the larva of a white butterfly. See Cabbage butterfly, above. The cabbage cutworms, which eat off the stalks of young plants during the night, are the larv[ae] of several species of moths, of the genus Agrotis. See Cutworm. Sea cabbage.(Bot.) (a) Sea kale (b) . The original Plant (Brassica oleracea), from which the cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, etc., have been derived by cultivation. Thousand-headed cabbage. See Brussels sprouts.
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