A chief priest or high priest, especially in ancient Greek religious hierarchies.
From Greek archi- (chief, first) + hiereus (priest). The term combines the prefix indicating supreme rank with the standard word for a religious official, reflecting Greek religious organization.
This word shows how ancient Greek added 'archi-' to almost any role to create a 'supreme' version—it's like adding 'mega-' or 'ultra-' to English words, revealing how languages develop hierarchy through prefixes.
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