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Definition of "sachem" []

  • A chief of a Native American tribe or confederation, especially an Algonquian chief. (noun)
  • A member of the ruling council of the Iroquois confederacy. (noun)
  • A high official of the Tammany Society, a political organization in New York City. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "sachem" in a sentence
  • "The civil head of a clan was a "sachem"; the military heads were "chiefs.""
  • "Its official head was the "sachem," whose functions were of a civil nature."
  • "Mr. Morgan (in his "League of the Iroquois," page 68,) states that to the last-named chief, or "sachem," the duty of watching the door was assigned, and that "they gave him a sub-sachem, or assistant, to enable him to execute this trust.""