All 5 Uses of

principal
in
Clover, by Sanders

All the years I'd gone to Gaten's school, I'd never been in any kind of trouble, much less something bad enough to be sent to the principal's office.†
Chpt 1 *

principal = most important; or person that is most important

Shell probably go to one of those private church schools they started setting up when the public schools started getting so many black principals.†
Chpt 5

principals = most important; or people that are most important

I'll bet the new white principal who took Gaten's place won't marry one of our black teachers.†
Chpt 5

principal = most important; or person that is most important

A principal's job at the Round Hill Elementary School opened up, and my daddy got the job.†
Chpt 5

Definitions:

(1) (principal)
most important; or person who is most important
The exact meaning of principal can depend upon its context. For example:
- "the principal idea" or "the principal performer" -- the most important
- "the principal of the school" -- the person in charge
- "a principal of a company" -- an owner or person with controlling authority
- "the principal in a transaction" (as contrasted to the agent) -- the person on whose behalf an agent acts
(2) (meaning too rare to warrant focus)
meaning too rare to warrant focus:

See a comprehensive dictionary for specialized senses in finance, architecture, law, chemistry, and music.