A chief steward or the highest-ranking steward in an organization, household, or institution.
From Middle English 'arch-' (from Greek 'archi-' meaning 'chief') combined with 'steward' (from Old English 'stigweard', originally a 'sty-ward' or pig keeper). The 'arch-' prefix became a productive way to denote the most important person in any role during the medieval period.
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