chieftain
Plural: chieftains
Noun
- the leader of a group of people
- the head of a tribe or clan
- A leader of a clan or tribe.
- A leader of a group.
Examples
- The robber chieftain divided up the spoils.
Origin / Etymology
From Middle English cheveteyn, cheftayne, from Old French chevetaine, from Late Latin capitaneus (English captain), from Latin caput (“head”), from Proto-Indo-European *kauput- (English head), itself from Proto-Indo-European *kap-. Doublet of captain; related to chief.
Synonyms
captain, chief, headman, tribal chief, big gun, big shot, big wheel, bigwig, boss, employer, foreman, head, leader, manager, mandarin, mover and shaker, top banana, top dog, tycoon
Scrabble Score: 17
chieftain: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Wordchieftain: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
chieftain: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary