Forms: 3–4 chef, (chiue), 4–7 chefe, cheif, (5 cheyff, cheef(f, chif(e, chyfe), 5–6 cheffe, chyef, 6–7 cheefe, chiefe, 4– chief. [ME. chef, chief, a. OF. chef, chief (= Pr. cap, Sp. cabo, It. capo head):—Rom. type *capu-m:—L. caput head.]
I. Proper and transf. material senses.
† 1. lit. The head (of the body). Obs. rare.
(The first quot. is doubtful.)
c. 1330. Arth. & Merl., 9513. The ferth he tok on the chiue, And carf him ato biliue.
a. 1535. Dewes, Introd. Fr., in Palsgr. (1852), 901. [Membres longyng to Mannes Body], the heed or chyfe, le chief.
† 2. The head, top, upper end (of anything). Obs.
c. 1400. Maundev., xx. 217. At the chief of the Halle, is the Emperours throne.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 1663. In the cheffe of þe choise halle … Was a grounde vp graid with gresis of Marbill.
c. 1420. Anturs of Arth., ix. Opon the chefe of hur cholle, A padok prykette on a polle.
1579. Spenser, Sheph. Cal., Nov. Where bene the nosegayes that she dight for thee? The coloured chaplets wrought with a chiefe.
3. Her. The head or principal part of the escutcheon, occupying the upper third of the shield, and divided from the rest by a line which may be straight, indented, embattled, wavy, etc. On a chief, † in (the) chief: borne on this ordinary. In chief: borne on or occupying the upper part of the shield, within the limits of this ordinary, though no chief is marked off.
a. 1440. Sir Degrev., 1029. He beres in cheef of azour Engrelyd with a satur With doubule tressour And treweloves bytwene.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. xvii. 19. The lorde William Duglas … bare azure a cheffe syluer. Ibid., lx. His baner … was goules, a sheffe syluer, thre cheuorns in the sheffe.
1572. Bossewell, Armorie, II. 30 b. There maye be also borne in chiefe, diuerse tokens of armes, and yet the chief not altered in colour from the field.
1622. Peacham, Compl. Gent., III. (1634), 143.
1808. Scott, Marm., VI. ii. And in chief three mullets stood The cognizance of Douglas blood.
1864. Boutell, Heraldry Hist. & Pop., xiv. (ed. 3), 171. The Helm always rests upon the Chief of the Shield.
† 4. A head of discourse, a heading. Obs. rare.
1598. Sylvester, Du Bartas, II. i. III. Argt., A Generall Muster of the Bodies Griefes, The Soules Diseases, vnder sundry Chiefes.
† 5. An end (of a bandage). Obs. rare.
1541. R. Copland, Guydon’s Quest. Chirurg. This is done with rolles of one chyef or dyuers chyefs, or armes, begynnynge vpon the hurt place.
II. Transferred and figurative senses.
6. The head of a body of men, of an organization, state, town, party, office, etc.; foremost authority, leader, ruler.
1297. R. Glouc. (1724), 212. Þo þe Romeyns were wyþ out chef, dyscomfortd hii were.
c. 1400. Apol. Loll., 57. Wan any auerous or couetous is canonizid … or maad cheef.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 3662. To chese hom a cheftayn to be chefe of þem all.
1483. Caxton, Gold. Leg., 399. She was made abbesse and chyef of al the monasterye.
1526. Tindale, Luke xi. 15. By the power of Belzebub, the chefe of the deuyls.
1568. Grafton, Chron., II. 288. The king sayde to Syr Gualtier Maury, I will that ye be chiefe of this enterprise.
1611. Bible, Num. iii. 30. The chiefe of the house of the father of the families of the Kohathites shalbe Elizaphan.
1666–7. Pepys, Diary, 20 Feb. A Frenchman come to be chief of some part of the King’s musique.
1791. Burke, in Corr. (1844), III. 202. The chief of every monarchical party must be the monarch himself.
1841–4. Emerson, Ess. Nom. & Realist, Wks. (Bohn), I. 253. Hence the immense benefit of party in politics, as it reveals faults of character in a chief.
1850. Thackeray, Pendennis, xxiii. The chief of the kitchen, Monsieur Mirobolant.
b. spec. The head man or ruler of a clan, tribe, or small uncivilized community.
1587. Sc. Acts (1597), § 94. Clannes … dependis vpon the directiones of the saidis Captaines, chiefes, and chieftaines.
1695. C. Leslie, Gallienus Rediv., 15. He gives these Directions to Coll Hill. Till we see what is done by the CHIEFS, it is not time to Receive their Tenants.
1713. Pope, Windsor For., 405. And naked youths and painted chiefs admire Our speech, our colour, and our strange attire.
1809. Campbell, Gertr. Wyom., ad fin. The death-song of an Indian chief!
1814. Scott, Wav., xxii. Proud chiefs of Clan Ranald, Glengarry, and Sleat!
1842. Macaulay, Ess., W. Hastings (1853), 95. Their chiefs, when united by a common peril, could bring eighty thousand men into the field.
c. A chief or superior officer; the head of any department; one’s superior in office.
1606. Shaks., Ant. & Cl., IV. xii. 93. Farewell great Chiefe. Shall I strike now?
1667. Milton, P. L., I. 566. Warriers … A waiting what Command their mighty Chief Had to impose.
1733. Pope, Hor. Sat., II. i. 126. Chiefs out of war, and Statesmen out of place.
1796–7. Instr. & Reg. Cavalry (1803), 134. The chief of the squadron … gives the general CAUTION so to do, and the leaders of divisions give their words of execution.
1853. Whyte-Melville, Digby Grand, xix. Our old chief … has been appointed to a command in India.
1888. Mowbray Morris, Claverhouse, iv. 67. In the report Lord Evandale makes to his chief.
7. Of things personified.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 29281 (Cott.). Hali kirke o rome … þat crist … has in erth leued o cristen-dome for cheif and heued.
1426. Audelay, Poems, 8. Thou most have fayth, hope, and charyté … then charyté he is the chif.
1667. Milton, P. L., V. 102. Many lesser Faculties that serve Reason as chief.
† 8. The head town or city; the CAPITAL. Obs.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 22097 (Cott.). Þis tun was quilum chefe [v.r. chef, cheef, chief] o pers.
1393. Gower, Conf., III. 164. Whan Rome was the worldes chefe.
c. 1400. Maundev., v. 35. Surrye of the whiche the cytee of Damasc was chief.
† 9. The best part; the height, the prime. Obs. or arch. (Cf. CHIEF a. 7.)
1509. Hawes, Past. Pleas., XX. xiv. (1845), 97. The chefe is gone of all thy melody, Whose beauty clere made moost swete armony.
1535. Coverdale, Ps. civ. [cv.] 35. He smote all ye first borne in their londe, euen the chefe of all their substance.
1551. Robinson, trans. More’s Utop. (Arb.), 36. Euen in the chiefe of his youth he was taken from schole into the Courte.
1572. J. Jones, Bathes of Bath, II. 12. The cheefe of Sommer.
1607. Topsell, Four-f. Beasts (1658), 270. By some corruption of the air, whereunto Rome in the chief of Summer is much subject.
† 10. Chief position, first place, eminence, excellency.
(The meaning of the Shakespeare passage is disputed.)
1519. Horman, Vulg., 281. He wanne the chieffe at euery game, victor palmam abstulit.
1602. Shaks., Ham., I. iii. 74 (Qo 1). And they of France of the chiefe rancke and station Are of a most select and generall chiefe in that. Ibid. (Qo 2, 3, 4). And they in Fraunce of the best ranck and station Or of a most select and generous chiefe [cheefe] in that. Ibid. (Fol. 1). Are of a most select and generous cheff in that.
11. Short for chief-rent (see 13).
1601. Holland, Pliny, II. 518. The lead mine named Antimonianum … which paid in old time but a chiefe of ten pound weight.
1625. F. Markham, Bk. Hon., Lett. to King, 2. But to the immortall and only true God of Heauen and Earth you pay no Chiefes or Acknowledgements.
1795. J. Aikin, Manchester, 258. A 999 year lease, at the small chief of a shilling per ann.
1868. Rogers, Pol. Econ., xiv. (ed. 3), 200. An all but universal custom in Lancashire of letting building-sites on what is called chief, that is at a perpetual ground-rent.
12. Phrase. In chief. a. Feudal Law [med.L. in capite, F. en chief]. Applied to a tenant holding, or tenure held, immediately from the Lord Paramount, as when a tenant held directly from the king, rendering to him personally the service belonging to the tenure. Hence, by extension, applied to tenancy by a perpetual feu-duty or ground-rent, as opposed to a lease for a limited period.
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 9691. No man, that of the kinge hulde ouȝt In chef, other in eni seruise.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, I. 154. Gyff thow will hald in cheyff off me For euirmar, and thine ofspryng, I sall do swa thow sall be king.
1495. Act 11 Hen. VII., c. 48 § 1. The same Castelles … be holden of your Highnes in Chief as of youre Crowne.
1542–3. Act 34 & 35 Hen. VIII., c. 5 § 5. Manours, holden of the kinge by knightes seruice in chiefe.
1607. Davies, 1st Let. Earl Salisbury (1787), 236. He hath yet allotted to him … in demesne, and in chief, ten ballibetaghs or thereabouts.
a. 1700. Dryden, Cleomenes, Ep. Ded. Proud to hold my dependence on you in chief, as I do part of my small fortune in Wiltshire.
b. In the chief or highest place or position. Often in titles, as Commander-in-Chief, Colonel-in-Chief, etc.
1607–12. Bacon, Ess. Of Great Place (Arb.), 286. Thinke it more honor, to direct in chiefe, then to be busie in all.
1618. Chapman, Hesiod, I. 542. Call thy friend In chief one near.
1653. Holcroft, Procopius, I. xi. 17. Sittas … commanded the Armenian Army in cheif.
c. 1670. J. Gordon, Hist. Scots Affairs, IV. xxxix. They coulde not agree who should be commander in cheefe.
a. 1680. Butler, Elephant in Moon, 27. When one, who for his deep belief Was Virtuoso then in chief.
1866. Mrs. Oliphant, Madonna Mary (Hoppe). Nelly Askell whom Will had appropriated … as his sympathizer-in-chief.
1885. Whitaker’s Almanack, 152. Department of the Officer Commanding-in-Chief … Commanding-in-Chief, Field-Marshal H. R. H. the Duke of Cambridge, K.G. Ibid., 156. 1st Life Guards … Colonel-in-Chief, H.R.H. Prince of Wales.
c. Chiefly; mainly, principally.
1603. Shaks., Meas. for M., V. i. 220. Some speech of marriage … which was broke off … in chiefe For that her reputation was dis-valued In leuitie.
1855. Browning, Old Pictures Florence. ’Twixt the aloes I used to lean in chief.
13. attrib. and Comb.: † chief-pledge, a borrow-head, head-borough; chief-rent, a rent paid under a tenure in chief; now = quit-rent; chief-tenant, a tenant in chief: cf. 12 a. See also CHIEF a. 1.
[1292. Britton, I. xxx. § 4. Si touz les chefs pleges soint venuz a la veuwe; transl. whether all the headboroughs are come to the view.]
1619. Dalton, Country Just., i. (1630), 3. There be other Officers of much like authority to our Constables: As the Borsholders in Kent, the Thirdborow in Warwickshire, and the Tythingman and Burrowhead or Headborow, or chiefe Pledge in other places.
1523. Fitzherb., Surv., 11. The lorde may haue a fre holder that holdeth his lande of hym & payeth hym chefe rentes and other seruyce.
1617. J. Moore, Mappe Mans Mort., III. v. 209. Forgetting his homage to God, and chiefe-rent of obedience.
1767. Blackstone, Comm., II. 42. Those of the freeholders are frequently called chief rents … and both sorts are denominated quit rents … because thereby the tenant goes quit and free of all other services.
