the head of a tribe or clan
"The chief called an emergency meeting to discuss the drought affecting our entire village."
A leader or head of a group of people, organisation, etc.
"The new chief will lead the organization through its most challenging year yet."
In plain English: A chief is the main leader of a group or organization who makes the most important decisions.
"The chief of the tribe gave a speech to welcome the visitors."
Usage: Use "chief" as a noun to refer to the highest-ranking person in an organization, such as a police chief or tribe chief. It functions as a title indicating leadership rather than describing the quality of being primary.
To smoke cannabis.
"He decided to chief before his shift at the construction site began."
In plain English: To chief means to act as the leader of a group, usually by giving orders to others.
"The new manager will chief the project team until the launch is complete."
Usage: In informal slang, to chief means to smoke marijuana, often by rolling it into a joint or blunt. This usage is casual and should be reserved for conversational contexts where such language is appropriate.
Primary; principal.
"The chief reason for our delay was the unexpected storm that grounded all flights."
In plain English: Chief means being the most important or main person in charge of something.
"She is the chief manager of the new branch."
Usage: Use chief as an adjective to describe the most important or primary person, object, or element in a specific group or situation. It often appears before a noun, such as in chief executive officer or chief reason, to indicate prominence without needing additional modifiers like "main" or "primary."
The word "chief" comes from the Old French chef, meaning "leader," which itself derives from the Latin caput for "head." It entered English via Middle English, sharing a common root with words like captain and chieftain that also relate to leadership or the top of something.