Chief (?), n. [OE. chief, chef, OF. chief, F. chef, fr. L. caput head, possibly akin to E. head. Cf. Captain, Chapter] 1. The head or leader of any body of men; a commander, as of an army; a head man, as of a tribe, clan, or family; a person in authority who directs the work of others; the pricipal actio or agent.
2. The principal part; the most valuable portion.
The chief of the things which should be utterly destroyed.1.
Sam. xv. 21
3. (Her.) The upper third part of the field. It is supposed to be composed of the dexter, sinister, and middle chiefs.
In chief. (a) At the head; as, a commander in chief. (b) (Eng. Law) From the king, or sovereign; as, tenure in chief, tenure directly from the king.
Syn. -- Chieftain; captain; general; commander; leader; head; principal; sachem; sagamore; sheik. -- Chief, chieftain, Commander, Leader. These words fluctuate somewhat in their meaning according to circumstances, but agree in the general idea of rule and authority. The term chief is now more usually applied to one who is a head man, leader, or commander in civil or military affairs, or holds a hereditary or acquired rank in a tribe or clan; as, the chief of police; the chief of an Indian tribe. A chieftain is the chief of a clan or tribe , or a military leader. A commander directs the movements of or has control over a body of men, as a military or naval force. A leader is one whom men follow, as in a political party, a legislative body, a military or scientific expedition, etc., one who takes the command and gives direction in particular enterprises.
Chief
Chief, a. 1. Highest in office or rank; principal; head. Chief rulers."
John. xii. 42.
2. Principal or most eminent in any quality or action; most distinguished; having most influence; taking the lead; most important; as, the chief topic of conversation; the chief interest of man.
3. Very intimate, near, or close. [Obs.]
A whisperer separateth chief friends.
Prov. xvi. 28.
Syn. -- Principal; head; leading; main; paramount; supreme; prime; vital; especial; great; grand; eminent; master.
Chiefage
Chief"age (?), n. [OF. chevage, fr. chief head. See Chief.] A tribute by the head; a capitation tax. [Written also chevage and chivage.] [Obs.]
Chief baron
Chief" bar"on (?). (Eng. Law) The presiding judge of the court of exchequer.
Chiefest
Chief"est, a. [Superl. of Chief.] First or foremost; chief; principal. [Archaic] Our chiefest courtier."
Shak.
The chiefest among ten thousand.
Canticles v. 10.
Chief hare
Chief" hare` (?). (Zoöl.) A small rodent (Lagamys princeps) inhabiting the summits of the Rocky Mountains; -- also called crying hare, calling hare, cony, American pika, and little chief hare.
&hand; It is not a true hare or rabbit, but belongs to the curious family Lagomyidæ.
Chief justice
Chief" jus"tice (?). The presiding justice, or principal judge, of a court.
Lord Chief Justice of England, The presiding judge of the Queen's Bench Division of the High Court of Justice. The highest judicial officer of the realm is the Lord High Chancellor. -- Chief Justice of the United States, the presiding judge of the Supreme Court, and Highest judicial officer of the republic.
Chief-justiceship
Chief"-jus"tice*ship, n. The office of chief justice.
Jay selected the chief-justiceship as most in accordance with his tastes.
The Century.
Chiefless
Chief"less (?), a. Without a chief or leader.
Chiefly
Chief"ly (?), adv. 1. In the first place; principally; preëminently; above; especially.
Search through this garden; leave unsearched no nook;
But chiefly where those two fair creatures lodge.
Milton.
2. For the most part; mostly.
Those parts of the kingdom where the . . . estates of the dissenters chiefly lay.
Swift.
Chiefrie
Chief"rie (?), n. A small rent paid to the lord paramount. [Obs.]
Swift.
Chieftain
Chief"tain (?), n. [OE. cheftayn, chevetayn, OF. chevetain, F. capitaine, LL. capitanus, fr. L. caput head. Cf. Captain, and see chief.] A captain, leader, or commander; a chief; the head of a troop, army, or clan.
Syn. -- Chief; commander; leader; head. See Chief.
Chieftaincy, Chieftainship
Chief"tain*cy (?), Chief"tain*ship, n. The rank, dignity, or office of a chieftain.
Chierte
Chier"te (?), n. [OF. cherté. See Charity.] Love; tender regard. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Chievance
Chiev"ance (?), n. [OF. chevance property, equiv. To chevisance, fr. chevir to accomplish. See Chevisance.] An unlawful bargain; traffic in which money is exported as discount. [Obs.]
Bacon.
Chieve
Chieve (?), v. i. See Cheve, v. i. [Obs.]
Chiff-chaff
Chiff"-chaff (), n. [So called from its note.] (Zoöl.) A species of European warbler (Sylvia hippolais); -- called also chip-chap, and pettychaps.
Chiffonier, fem. Chiffo-ni\'8are
Chif`fo*nier" (?), fem. Chif`fo-ni\'8are" (?), n. [F. chiffonnier, fem. chiffonni\'8are, fr. chiffon rag, fr. chiffe a rag, fimsy cloth.] 1. One who gathers rags and odds and ends; a ragpicker.
2. A receptacle for rags or shreds.
3. A movable and ornamental closet or piece of furniture with shelves or drawers.
G. Eliot.
Chignon
Chi"gnon (), n. [F., prop. equiv. to cha\'8cnon link, fr. cha\'8cne chain, fr. L. catena Cf. Chain.] A knot, boss, or mass of hair, natural or artificial, worn by a woman at the back of the head.
A curl that had strayed from her chignon.
H. James.
Chigoe, Chigre
Chig"oe (?), Chig"re (?), n. [Cf. F. chigue, perh. fr. Catalan chic small, Sp. chico; or of Peruvian origin.] (Zoöl.) A species of flea (Pulex penetrans), common in the West Indies and South America, which often attacks the feet or any exposed part of the human body, and burrowing beneath the skin produces great irritation. When the female is allowed to remain and breed, troublesome sores result, which are sometimes dangerous. See Jigger. [Written also chegre, chegoe, chique, chigger, jigger.]
&hand; The name is sometimes erroneously given to certain mites or ticks having similar habits.
Chikara
Chi*ka"ra (), n. [Hind.] (Zoöl.) (a) The Ingoat antelope (Tragops Bennettii) Of India. (b) The Indian four-horned antelope (Tetraceros quadricornis).
Chilblain
Chil"blain` (?), n. [Chill + Blain.] A blain, sore, or inflammatory swelling, produced by exposure of the feet or hands to cold, and attended by itching, pain, and sometimes ulceration.
Chilblain
Chil"blain`, v. t. To produce chilblains upon.
Child
Child (?), n.; pl. Children (#). [AS. cild, pl. cildru; cf. Goth. kilþei womb, in-kilþ with child.] 1. A son or a daughter; a male or female descendant, in the first degree; the immediate progeny of human parents; -- in law, legitimate offspring. Used also of animals and plants.
2. A descendant, however remote; -- used esp. in the plural; as, the children of Israel; the children of Edom.
3. One who, by character of practice, shows signs of relationship to, or of the influence of, another; one closely connected with a place, occupation, character, etc.; as, a child of God; a child of the devil; a child of disobedience; a child of toil; a child of the people.
4. A noble youth. See Childe. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
5. A young person of either sex. esp. one between infancy and youth; hence, one who exhibits the characteristics of a very young person, as innocence, obedience, trustfulness, limited understanding, etc.
When I was child. I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
1. Cor. xii. 11.
6. A female infant. [Obs.]
A boy or a child, I wonder?
Shak.
To be with child, to be pregnant. -- Child's play, light work; a trifling contest.
Child
Child, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Childed; p. pr. & vb. n. Childing.] To give birth; to produce young.
This queen Genissa childing died.
Warner.
It chanced within two days they childed both.
Latimer.
Childbearing
Child"bear`ing (?), n. The act of producing or bringing forth children; parturition.
Milton. Addison.
Childbed
Child"bed (?), n. The state of a woman bringing forth a child, or being in labor; parturition.
Childbirth
Child"birth (?), n. The act of bringing forth a child; travail; labor.
Jer. Taylor.
Childcrowing
Child"crow`ing (?), n. (Med.) The crowing noise made by children affected with spasm of the laryngeal muscles; false croup.
Childe
Childe (?), n. A cognomen formerly prefixed to his name by the oldest son, until he succeeded to his ancestral titles, or was knighted; as, Childe Roland.
Childed
Child"ed (?), a. Furnished with a child. [Obs.]
Childermas day
Chil"dermas day` (?). [AS. cildamæsse-dæg; cild child +dæg day.] (Eccl.) A day (December 28) observed by mass or festival in commemoration of the children slain by Herod at Bethlehem; -- called also Holy Innocent's Day.