n. 1. A loyal and trusted follower or subordinate, especially one who engages in unscrupulous or criminal behavior on the leader's behalf. 2. A person who supports a political figure chiefly out of selfish interests. 3. A member of a criminal gang. 4. Obsolete A page to a prince or other person of high rank. [Scots hanchman, alteration (probably influenced by Scots hainch, hench, haunch, as of a horse) of Early Modern English hensman, henchman, attendant who walks or rides beside a person of rank in processions on horseback, from Middle English hengsman : hengest, steed, horse (from Old English, from Germanic *hangistaz, stallion; akin to Lithuanian šankus, quick, nimble, and Welsh caseg, mare) + man, man; see MAN (the Middle English compound probably being formed on the model of Old Norse hestamaðr, groom : hestr, stallion + maðr, man).] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.