1. (n.) The head or leader of any body of men; a commander, as of an army; a head man, as of a tribe, clan, or family; a person in authority who directs the work of others; the principal actor or agent.

2. (n.) The principal part; the most valuable portion.

3. (n.) The upper third part of the field. It is supposed to be composed of the dexter, sinister, and middle chiefs.

4. (a.) Highest in office or rank; principal; head.

5. (a.) Principal or most eminent in any quality or action; most distinguished; having most influence; taking the lead; most important; as, the chief topic of conversation; the chief interest of man.

6. (a.) Very intimate, near, or close.

A per se Big Brother ace achievement acmatic alerion all-absorbing animal charge annulet anointed king antecedent anterior apical arch argent armorial bearings armory arms ascendant at the head auditor azure bandeau banner bar bar sinister baton bearings bend bend sinister big cheese big wheel big-timer bigwig billet blazon blazonry boatswain bordure boss broad arrow bwana cadency mark canton capital captain cardinal central champion chaplet charge chef chevron chieftain church dignitary coat of arms cock cockatrice commander commanding comptroller consequential consummate controller controlling coronet crescent crest cross cross moline crown crowned head crowning dean device dictator difference differencing dignitary directing directive directorial directory dominant doyen doyenne duce dynast eagle ecclesiarch effective elder electronics king eminence emperor employer ermine ermines erminites erminois escutcheon essential exordial falcon fess fess point field file first first and foremost flanch fleur-de-lis floor manager floorman floorwalker focal fore foregoing forehand foreman foremost forward fret front frontal fugleman fuhrer fur fusil gaffer ganger garland general genius goodman governing governor grand duke great greatest griffin guiding gules guru gyron hatchment head heading headman headmost hegemonic hegemonistic helmet heraldic device hierarch high chief high priest higher-up highest himself honcho honor point husband impalement impaling imperator important important person in ascendancy in charge in chief in the ascendant inescutcheon initiatory inspector key king king-emperor kingfish kinglet kingpin label laureate lead leader leading leading light liege liege lord lion lord lord paramount lozenge luminary magisterial maiden main majesty major man manager managerial managing mantling marshaling martlet mascle master master spirit maximal maximum meridian meridional metal momentous monarch monitor motto mullet nombril point noncommissioned officer nonpareil notability number one octofoil or ordinary orle outstanding overlord overman overmost overriding overruling overseer padrone pale paly paragon paramount paterfamilias patriarch patron pean personage petty king pheon potent potentate precedent preceding precessional precursory predominant