Chief

From ArticleWorld

The word chief can be used either as a noun meaning ‘leader’ or as an adjective meaning ‘principal’.

To refer to the leader of an indigenous social group, the term ‘tribal chief’ is used. Chiefs preside over a community known as a chiefdom, the highest political leader of which is known as a ‘paramount chief’.

In heraldry, a chief refers to the horizontal band on a coat of arms covering from one-fourth to one-third of the surface of the shield.

Sports teams often use the term ‘chief’ in their team or league names. An ice-hockey league in Quebec has taken the name ‘Les Chiefs’; an American football team calls themselves the Kansas City Chiefs while in the southern hemisphere, a New Zealand rugby union team use the name ‘Waikato Chiefs’.

The term is often used when delegating rank. Chief Warrant Officer is used in the military and Chief Petty Officer is used in the United States navy while the Chief of Staff refers to a high-ranking political or military officer.

There is no end to the use of the word as a noun. But wherever it is used whether in nicknames or passenger trains, it signifies something that is at the top or in charge.

As an adjective, the term is also used to denote importance. If something is one’s chief concern, for example, then it is something of paramount importance.