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Custody or care of any person, thing, or place; office; responsibility; oversight; obigation; duty. 'Tis a great charge to come under one body's hand. Shak.

The office of a chargé d'affaires.

The son of Erebus and Nox, whose office it was to ferry the souls of the dead over the Styx, a river of the infernal regions. Shak.

A distinguishing mark, above the elow, on the sleeve of a noncommisioned officer's coat.

Highest in office or rank; principal; head. "Chief rulers." John. xii. 42.

ng judge of the Queen's Bench Division of the High Court of Justice. The highest judicial officer of the realm is the Lord High Chancellor. -- Chief Justice of the United States, the presiding judge of the Supreme Court, and Highest judicial officer of the republic.

The office of chief justice. Jay selected the chief-justiceship as most in accordance with his tastes. The Century.

The rank, dignity, or office of a chieftain.

crown land in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, England, to which is attached the nominal office of steward. As members of Parliament cannot resign, when they wish to go out they accept this stewardship, which legally vacates their seats.

See chirographist, 2. Chirographer of fines (Old Eng. Law), an officer in the court of common pleas, who engrossed fines.

A watchman; an officer of customs or police. [India]

One of the officers (usually two) in an Episcopal church, whose duties vary in different dioceses, but always include the provision of what is necessary for the communion service.

The office of a churchwarden.

ng names . . . would save abundance of time lost by circumlocution. Swift. Circumlocution office, a term of riducle for a governmental office where business is delayed by passing through the hands of different officials.

spoils system in the conduct of the civil service, esp. in the matter of appointments to office. -- Civil state, the whole body of the laity or citizens not included under the military, maritime, and ecclesiastical states. -- Civil suit. Same as Civil action. -- CCivil war. See under War. -- Civil year. See under…

vil service. esp. the merit system instead of the spoils system in making appointments to office.

A civil office, or a civil process [Obs.] To serve in a civility. Latimer.

A parish officer, being a layman who leads in reading the responses of the Episcopal church service, and otherwise assists in it. [Eng.] Hook. And like unlettered clerk still cry "Amen". Shak.

fall, into confusion. To club a battalion implies a temporary inability in the commanding officer to restore any given body of men to their natural front in line or column. Farrow.

The state or office of a coadjutor; joint assistance. Pope.