Dictionary

chieftain en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈt͡ʃiːf.tən/
• /ˈt͡ʃiːf.tɪn/
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Middle English cheveteyn, cheftayne, from Old French chevetaine, from Late Latin capitaneus (English captain), from Latin caput (“head”), from Proto-Indo-European *kauput- (English head), itself from Proto-Indo-European *kap-. Doublet of captain; related to chief.

Meanings

1. A leader of a clan or tribe.
   • They were probably the work of individual craftsmen working to meet the chieftains' needs. Their place in the chronology of the big cemeteries is indicated by the less richly-decorated double-springed bronze brooches which are found here. 1970, Kazimierz Godłowski, “The chronology of the Late Roman and early migration periods in Central Europe”, in Acta scientiarum litterarumque: Schedae archeologicae, Nakładem Uniwersytetu Jagiellonśkiego, page 22:
   • VI. THE PUYUMA GROUP. The tribes belonging to this group occupy the plains in Hinan and that neighbourhood, and call themselves "Puyumas," but the Chinese call them the "Hinan Savages". The Puyumas formed a very powerful State some 300 years ago, and united under one single rule as many as seventy isolated tribes scattered over the land, stretching from Hakusekikwaku and Seikoko to Harogwai in the southern part of the island, and were at one time so powerful that the chieftain was called by foreigners "The King of Hinan". 1907, Yosaburo Takekoshi, “THE SAVAGES AND THEIR TERRITORY.”, in George Braithwaite, transl., Japanese Rule in Formosa, Longmans, Green, and Co., →OCLC, page 225:
2. (broadly) A leader of a group.
   • The robber chieftain divided up the spoils.

Forms

Deriveds

chieftainess · chieftainship · chieftaincy · chieftainly · chieftaindom · subchieftain · chieftess · chieftainry · underchieftain

Descendants

cheftaine

Synonyms

mover and shaker (leader of a clan or tribe) · big wheel (leader of a clan or tribe) · head (leader of a clan or tribe) · chief (leader of a clan or tribe) · manager (leader of a clan or tribe) · big gun (leader of a clan or tribe) · tycoon (leader of a clan or tribe) · bigwig (leader of a clan or tribe) · employer (leader of a clan or tribe) · boss (leader of a clan or tribe) · foreman (leader of a clan or tribe) · big shot (leader of a clan or tribe) · leader (leader of a clan or tribe) · top banana (leader of a clan or tribe) · top dog (leader of a clan or tribe) · mandarin (leader of a clan or tribe)

Translations (69)

cs náčelník (A leader of a clan or tribe) · sm ao (A leader of a clan or tribe) · ca cabdill (A leader of a clan or tribe) · sv ledare (A leader of a group, e.g. a robbers' chieftain) · pt manda-chuva (A leader of a group, e.g. a robbers' chieftain) · es cabecilla (A leader of a clan or tribe) · da høvding (A leader of a clan or tribe) · tpi bigman (A leader of a clan or tribe) · ja 酋長 (A leader of a clan or tribe) · km មេកន្ទ្រាញ (A leader of a clan or tribe) · sk vodca (A leader of a clan or tribe) · hu törzsfőnök (A leader of a clan or tribe) · ru атама́н (A leader of a group, e.g. a robbers' chieftain) · mi rangatira (A leader of a clan or tribe) · nl bendeleider (A leader of a group, e.g. a robbers' chieftain) · ko 추장 (A leader of a clan or tribe) · oc cap (A leader of a group, e.g. a robbers' chieftain) · oc cap (A leader of a clan or tribe) · fr chef (A leader of a clan or tribe) · sk náčelník (A leader of a clan or tribe) · tr kabile reisi (A leader of a clan or tribe) · oc capmèstre (A leader of a clan or tribe) · okm 어비〮ᄆᆞᆮ (A leader of a clan or tribe) · sm matai (A leader of a clan or tribe) · ca cacic (A leader of a clan or tribe) · ru вождь (A leader of a clan or tribe) · nn høvding (A leader of a clan or tribe) · it capotribù (A leader of a clan or tribe) · fi päällikkö (A leader of a group, e.g. a robbers' chieftain) · cmn 族長 /族长 (A leader of a clan or tribe) · la procer (A leader of a clan or tribe) · et pealik (A leader of a clan or tribe) · sq prijës (A leader of a clan or tribe) · nl stamhoofd (A leader of a clan or tribe) · tpw morubixaba (A leader of a clan or tribe) · pl wódz (A leader of a clan or tribe) · mk поглавар (A leader of a clan or tribe) · es cacique (A leader of a clan or tribe) · eo tribestro (A leader of a clan or tribe) · sq pringj (A leader of a clan or tribe) · ga ceann fine (A leader of a clan or tribe) · km មេកន្ទ្រាញ (A leader of a group, e.g. a robbers' chieftain) · fi päällikkö (A leader of a clan or tribe) · ko 족장 (A leader of a clan or tribe) · ga taoiseach (A leader of a clan or tribe) · es líder (A leader of a group, e.g. a robbers' chieftain) · pt cacique (A leader of a clan or tribe) · es jefe (A leader of a clan or tribe) · pt chefe (A leader of a clan or tribe) · pt chefe (A leader of a group, e.g. a robbers' chieftain) · it capo (A leader of a clan or tribe) · sco chieftain (A leader of a clan or tribe) · pt morubixaba (A leader of a clan or tribe) · pt tuxaua (A leader of a clan or tribe) · nb høvding (A leader of a clan or tribe) · it capo (A leader of a group, e.g. a robbers' chieftain) · gd ceann-cinnidh (A leader of a clan or tribe) · nl opperhoofd (A leader of a clan or tribe) · fo ættarhøvdingur (A leader of a clan or tribe) · id kepala suku (A leader of a clan or tribe) · ru глава́рь (A leader of a group, e.g. a robbers' chieftain) · es jefe (A leader of a group, e.g. a robbers' chieftain) · ca cap (A leader of a clan or tribe) · lkt itȟáŋčhaŋ (A leader of a clan or tribe) · de Häuptling (A leader of a clan or tribe) · es jeque (A leader of a clan or tribe) · is höfðingi (A leader of a clan or tribe) · es caudillo (A leader of a clan or tribe) · sv hövding (A leader of a clan or tribe)