noun
- (among some North American Indians)
- the chief of a tribe.
- the chief of a confederation.
- a member of the governing body of the League of the Iroquois.
- one of the high officials in the Tammany Society.
- Slang. a political party leader.
noun
- US a leader of a political party or organization, esp of Tammany Hall
- another name for sagamore
n.chief of an American Indian tribe, 1620s, from Narragansett (Algonquian) sachim “chief, ruler,” cognate with Abenaki sangman, Delaware sakima, Micmac sakumow, Penobscot sagumo. Applied jocularly to a prominent member of any society from 1680s; specific political use in U.S. is from 1890, from its use as the title of the 12 high officials of the Tammany Society of New York.