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.
This word reveals how English speakers of the Middle Ages loved to create ranks of importance—they'd stick 'arch-' in front of almost any occupation to show who was the boss. The journey from 'pig keeper' to 'chief administrator' shows how stewards gained respectability over centuries!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.