chiefs

1. 1
   noun

   Plural of chief.

   The fire chiefs from neighboring towns met to coordinate their response.

   Several department chiefs reported directly to the new director.

   Note

   A plural that keeps its f: chiefs, not the -ves pattern of thief and thieves. It counts leaders of every kind, from tribal heads to fire chiefs and department chiefs, and it also serves the heraldic chief, the band across the top third of a shield. Take care with the word as a form of address: it is sometimes ironic, and offensive when aimed at a Native American or First Nations man.

2. 2
   verbslang

   Third-person singular simple present of chief.

   She chiefs the rescue team on every major call along the coast.

   Whenever the director travels, the deputy chiefs the entire operation alone.

   Note

   Worth knowing before you use the verb: chief is also slang for smoking cannabis, so a sentence like "he chiefs every evening" can be heard that way. That use belongs to casual speech. Elsewhere, readers meeting chiefs will usually take it as the plural noun, since the spelling gives no hint which is meant. A clear subject and object help keep a verb reading unambiguous.

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