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Webster 1913 Edition
Henchman
Hench′man
(hĕnch′man)
, Noun.
pl.
-men
(-men)
. [OE.
hencheman
, henxman
; prob. fr. OE. & AS. hengest
horse + E. man
, and meaning, a groom. AS. hengest
is akin to D. & G. hengst
stallion, OHG. hengist
horse, gelding.] An attendant; a servant; a follower. Now chiefly used as a political cant term.