different between special vs chief

English

Etymology

From Middle English *special, especial, especiall, from Old French especial (whence also French spécial), from Latin specialis (from species, speciei).

Pronunciation

• enPR: sp??sh?l, IPA^(key): /?sp?.??l/
• Rhymes: -???l

Adjective

special (comparative more special or specialer, superlative most special or specialest)

1. Distinguished by a unique or unusual quality.

2. Of particular personal interest or value; dear; beloved.

3. (euphemistic) Of or related to disabilities, especially learning or intellectual disabilities.

4. Constituting or relating to a species.

5. Chief in excellence.
6. (military) Of or related to unconventional warfare.

Antonyms

• (distinguished by a unique or unusual quality): common, non-special, ordinary, usual

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Noun

special (plural specials)

1. A reduction in consumer cost (usually for a limited time) for items or services rendered.

2. One of a rotation of meals systematically offered for a lower price at a restaurant.

3. (broadcasting) Unusual or exceptional episode of a series.

4. (Britain, colloquial) A special constable.
5. Anything that is not according to normal practice, plan, or schedule, as an unscheduled run of transportation that is normally scheduled.

6. Any unlicensed medicine produced or obtained for a specific individual patient.
7. (journalism) A correspondent; a journalist sent to the scene of an event to report back.
8. (journalism) A dispatch sent back by a special correspondent.
9. (theater) A light that illuminates a specific person or thing on the stage.
   • 2009, Steven Shelley, A Practical Guide to Stage Lighting (page 132)

     In addition to followspots, there will be three frontlight specials on Autoyokes hung on the truss to provide frontlight specials.

   • 2009, Jennifer Bringle, Lighting (page 23)

     The first is a special—a single lighting instrument that lights a particular spot on the stage. Specials generally have no color, or a more saturated color, allowing them to stand out through other lighting onstage.

Translations

Verb

special (third-person singular simple present specials, present participle specialing or specialling, simple past and past participle specialed or specialled)

1. (nursing) To supervise a patient one-on-one.

Anagrams

• epicals, piacles, plaices

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from English special.

Pronunciation

• (Netherlands) IPA^(key): /?sp?.??l/, /?sp?.??l/
• Hyphenation: spe?ci?al

Noun

special m (plural specials)

1. A special broadcast episode.

Related terms

• speciaal

Middle French

Adjective

special m (feminine singular speciale, masculine plural speciaulx, feminine plural speciales)

1. special; extraordinary; beyond what is usual

Romanian

Etymology

From French spécial, from Latin specialis.

Adjective

special m or n (feminine singular special?, masculine plural speciali, feminine and neuter plural speciale)

1. special

Declension

English

Etymology

From Middle English chef, borrowed from Old French chief (“leader”), from Vulgar Latin capus (from which also captain, chieftain), from Latin caput (“head”) (English cap (“head covering”)), from Proto-Indo-European *kauput- (English head).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /t?i?f/
• Rhymes: -i?f

Noun

chief (plural chiefs)

2. A leader or head of a group of people, organisation, etc. [from 13th c.]
   • 1994, Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom, Abacus 2010, p. 4:

     My father, Gadla Henry Mphakanyiswa, was a chief by both blood and custom.

   All firefighters report to the fire chief.

3. (heraldry) The top part of a shield or escutcheon; more specifically, an ordinary consisting of the upper part of the field cut off by a horizontal line, generally occupying the top third. [from 15th c.]
   • 1889, Charles Norton Elvin, A Dictionary of Heraldry:

     When the Chief is Charged with any figure, in blazon it is said to be "On a Chief".

4. The principal part or top of anything.
5. An informal term of address, sometimes ironic.

   Hey, chief.

Synonyms

• chieftain
• chiefess (female chief)
• See also Thesaurus:boss

Derived terms

Pages starting with “chief”.

Related terms

• captain
• chef
• chieftain

Descendants

• ? Japanese: ??? (ch?fu)
• ? Swahili: chifu

Translations

Adjective

chief (comparative chiefer or more chief, superlative chiefest or most chief)

1. Primary; principal.
2. (Scotland) Intimate, friendly.
   • 2006, James Robertson: The Testament of Gideon Mack, p 324:

     'You’re doing it because she was your friend, not because she was a parishioner, and certainly not because of the Declaratory Articles,' Macmurray said, pushing himself forward on his seat. 'Everybody knows how chief you and she were. It was an unfitting relationship for a minister while she was alive, and it is equally unfitting for you to do her a favour like this now she's dead.'

Translations

Verb

chief (third-person singular simple present chiefs, present participle chiefing, simple past and past participle chiefed)

1. (US, slang) To smoke cannabis.
   • 2012, Marquis "Cream" Cureton, When the Smoke Clears (page 268)

     He chiefed on the bud like a pro, taking long deep hits and holding it within until he had inhaled as much of the weed smoke as he could.

See also

• chef

Anagrams

• cheif, fiche, fiché

Middle English

Noun

chief

1. Alternative form of chef

Adjective

chief

1. Alternative form of chef

Middle French

Etymology

From Old French chief.

Noun

chief m (plural chiefs)

1. head

Descendants

• French: chef (see there for further descendants)

Old French

Alternative forms

• cap (La Vie de Saint Léger, circa 980)
• chef, cief

Etymology

First known attestation 881 in The Sequence of Saint Eulalia. From Vulgar Latin capus, from Latin caput.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?t?je?f/

Noun

chief m (oblique plural chiés, nominative singular chiés, nominative plural chief)

1. (anatomy) head
   • circa 1170, Chrétien de Troyes, Érec et Énide:

     Le chief li desarme et la face.

     He exposed his head and his face.

2. leader, chief
3. front (foremost side of something)

Descendants

• Middle French: chief
  • French: chef (see there for further descendants)
• Norman: chef
• ? Middle English: chef
  • English: chief
  • Scots: chief
• ? Old Spanish: xefe
  • Spanish: jefe, gefe
    • ? English: jefe
    • ? Cebuano: hepe
  • ? Asturian: xefe
  • ? Galician: xefe
  • ? Portuguese: chefe