■ noun a senior state or legal official.
↘( Chancellor ) the head of the government in some European countries, e.g. Germany.
↘ chiefly Brit. the honorary head of a university.
↘ US the presiding judge of a chancery court.
↘(in the UK) an officer of an order of knighthood who seals commissions.
Derivatives
~ship noun
Origin
OE from OFr. cancelier , from late L. cancellarius 'porter, secretary' (orig. a court official stationed at the grating separating public from judges), from cancelli 'crossbars'.