Encyclopædia Britannica, First Edition/Chief

CHIEF, a term signifying the head or principal part of a thing or person. Thus we say, the chief of a party, the chief a family, &c.

Chief, in heraldry, is that which takes up all the upper part of the escutcheon from side to side, and represents a man’s head. See Plate LXV. fig. 4.

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Chief.

It is to take up just the third part of the escutcheon, as all other honourable ordinaries do, especially if they are alone on the shield; but if there be several of them, they must be lessened in proportion to their number, and the same holds when they are cantoned, attended and bordered upon by some other figures; then the painter or engraver may be allowed to bring them into a smaller compass, to the end that all that is represented about the ordinaries may appear with some proportion and symmetry. Chiefs are very much varied, for they may be couvert, supported, crenellé, surmounted, abaisé, rempli, dentillé, engreslé, canellé, danché, nebulé, fleurdelezée, fleuronné, vair, echequeté, lozangé, burellé, patté, fretté, giroché, chaperonné, chappé, mantelé, emmanché, chaussé, vestu or revestu. See Couvert, Supported, &c.