Chieftain

Pronunciation

IPA: /ËˆtÊƒiËf.tÉ™n/, /ËˆtÊƒif.tÉ™n/, /ËˆtÊƒif.tin/

Origin

From Middle English cheftayne, a variant of Old French chevetaine, from Late Latin capitaneus (English captain), from Latin caput ("head"), from Proto-Indo-European *kauput- (English head).

Full definition of chieftain

Noun

chieftain

(plural chieftains)

A leader of a clan or tribe.
A leader of a group, e.g. a robbers' chieftain.

Synonyms

(A very powerful person) chief, big gun, big shot, big wheel, bigwig, boss, employer, foreman, head, heid bummer, leader, mandarin, manager, mover and shaker, top banana, top dog, tycoon