henchman

noun

hench·​man ˈhench-mən 

plural henchmen

1

a

: a trusted follower : a right-hand man

b

: a political follower whose support is chiefly for personal advantage

c

: a member of a gang

2

obsolete : a squire or page to a person of high rank

Did you know?

The earliest known examples of henchman show it being used as a term for a squire or a page, but the word may have seen earlier use with the meaning "groom." It first appeared in Middle English and is a combination of Old English hengest ("a male horse") and man. One of the duties of a groom, squire, or page to a person of high rank was tending horses, and such a person was relied upon, which influenced the broader senses of henchman including "right-hand man."

Examples of henchman in a Sentence

a gangster surrounded by his henchmen

Recent Examples on the Web

Rediscovering his family’s ancestral land centuries after the religious wars forced those kinsmen to flee, our caballero soon steps in to protect a local clan from an oppressive landowner and his abusive henchmen. —Ben Croll, Variety, 20 Sep. 2024

As Oz Cobb, Colin Farrell plays a long-suffering henchman trying to get on top for once. —Christian Holub, EW.com, 12 Sep. 2024

The gunplay is hectic, especially when switching out ammo types to deal with droids, henchmen and situations. —Gieson Cacho, The Mercury News, 5 Sep. 2024

Fleeing captivity, Dot takes refuge in a well from the gun-toting henchmen chasing her. —Daron James, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English henshman, hengestman groom, from hengest stallion (from Old English) + man; akin to Old High German hengist gelding

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

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Kids Definition

henchman

noun

hench·​man ˈhench-mən 

1

: a trusted follower

2

: a political follower whose support is chiefly for personal advantage

3

: a member of a gang