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

Around 90 percent of Thessaloniki’s Jewish population was killed by the Third Reich’s henchmen, which accounted for roughly a third of the city’s total population. —George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 5 Nov. 2024

In the passenger cab, the front fascia is made up of a steel and gold topographic map of the Furka Pass, where Bond played cat and mouse with Goldfinger and his henchman Oddjob. —David Szondy, New Atlas, 30 Oct. 2024

But all hell breaks loose when his disapproving parents sic their henchmen on the couple. —Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2024

Neeson’s lonely old violent henchman drinks cheap booze on the rocks around the clock. —Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 1 Nov. 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