noun, feminine/ʃɛf.tɛn/plural: cheftaines
a woman in charge of a troop of young scouts; a woman in charge of a group of people, assembly
“Coordinate term: chef”
First attested in the beginning of the 1900's; from English chieftain, it being feminine probably influenced by the pronunciation of its English etymon and the analogy with pairs such as châtelain /châtelaine.