A chief, leader, or principal person in charge of something; the highest-ranking member of a group or organization.
From arch- (chief, supreme) + head (the top part of the body, or a leader). Both components are Old English: head from Old English heafod, and arch- from Greek archi- meaning 'chief.'
This straightforward combination shows how English used 'arch-' as a productivity prefix—speakers could attach it to almost any noun to instantly create a 'super version,' which is why we see so many arch- words in historical texts but rarely use this pattern today.
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