taoiseach

1. (Ireland, historical) A chieftain or leader.Examples: "Every diſtrict in the land, in which an Iriſh Taoiſeach or lord reſided, was obliged to entertain a Daniſh chief, to whom he was to ſubmit, and from whom he was to receive orders for the governing of his people; for theſe laſt would receive no commands, but directly from their own chiefs."; "Unlike the English in their own country and in Ireland, who passed on land and political authority associated with it to the eldest male heir, the Irish elected their chiefs (taoiseachs) among the leading male members of each clan, and successors (tanistes) were chosen before the deaths of chiefs."; "The first O'Donnell chieftain was Eighneachan, inaugurated in 1200, the first of an unbroken line of twenty five^([sic]) taoisigh or chieftains, the last being Niall Garbh who was inaugurated in 1603 and died in 1625."Irelandhistorical

2. (Irish politics) Alternative letter-case form of Taoiseach (“head of the government of Ireland”).Examples: "The only leader of the 1916 Easter rebellion to escape hanging, [Éamon d]e Valera lost the civil war, then won elections that made him taoiseach (prime minister) for 19 years."; "Despite the attacks, 'the boss', as [Charles] Haughey was to become known, was elected taoiseach by 82 votes to 62. However, he was a taoiseach with strong opposition from within his own party."; "For three centuries, the fabled Round Room in Dublin's Mansion House has been the site of some of Ireland's most important gatherings. British monarchs and Irish taoiseachs, a Catholic pope and a Protestant terrorist, all have walked its halls."Irishalt-of