chieftain
[ cheef-tuh n, -tin ]
/ ˈtʃif tən, -tɪn /
noun
the chief of a clan or a tribe.
a leader of a group, band, etc.: the robbers' chieftain.
(initial capital letter) Military.
Britain's main battle tank since 1969, fitted with a 120mm gun and two machine guns and weighing 55 tons (50 metric tons).
Origin of chieftain
1275–1325; Middle English
cheftayne, variant of
chevetaine < Old French < Late Latin
capitāneus
captain
OTHER WORDS FROM chieftain
chief·tain·cy, chief·tain·ship, nounWords nearby chieftain
chief rabbi,
chief technician,
chief warrant officer,
chiefdom,
chiefly,
chieftain,
chiel,
chield,
chiengmai,
chiffchaff,
chiffon
Example sentences from the Web for chieftain
British Dictionary definitions for chieftain
chieftain
/ (ˈtʃiːftən, -tɪn) /
noun
the head or leader of a tribe or clan
the chief of a group of people
Derived forms of chieftain
chieftaincy or chieftainship, nounWord Origin for chieftain
C14: from Old French
chevetaine, from Late Latin
capitāneus commander; see
captain