high-muck-a-muck
[ hahy-muhk-uh-muhk, -muhk-uh-muhk ]
/ ˈhaɪˌmʌk əˈmʌk, -ˈmʌk əˌmʌk /
noun
an important, influential, or high-ranking person, especially one who is pompous or conceited.
Also
high-muck·y-muck
[hahy-muhk-ee-muhk, -muhk-ee-muhk] /ˈhaɪˌmʌk iˈmʌk, -ˈmʌk iˌmʌk/,
high-muck·e·ty-muck
[hahy-muhk-i-tee-muhk, -muhk-i-tee-muhk] /ˈhaɪˌmʌk ɪ tiˈmʌk, -ˈmʌk ɪ tiˌmʌk/.
Also called
muck-a-muck.
Origin of high-muck-a-muck
1855–60; < Chinook Jargon
hayo makamak literally, plenty to eat, much food, perhaps extended derisively to Indians of high status with much disposable wealth, as for potlatches;
hayo < Nootka
ḥayo ten (the base of various measures with suffixes for specific countable nouns);
mak(a)mak eat, food < Nootka
ma·ḥo·ma(q-) part of whale meat between blubber and flesh
Words nearby high-muck-a-muck
British Dictionary definitions for high-muck-a-muck
high-muck-a-muck
noun
a conceited or haughty person
Word Origin for high-muck-a-muck
C19: from Chinook Jargon
hiu muckamuck, literally: plenty (of) food