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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.

Webster 1828 Edition

Henchman

HENCH'MAN

Definition 2024

henchman

henchman

English

Noun

henchman ‎(plural henchmen)

  1. A loyal and trusted follower or subordinate.
  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.

Translations

Etymology

From Middle English hencheman, henseman, henxman ‎(“a groom, page, attendant”), from Old English *hengstmann, *hengestmann ‎(“groom”, literally “horseman”), from hengst, hengest ‎(“stallion, horse, steed, gelding”) (from Proto-Germanic *hangistaz ‎(“stallion”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱanḱest-, *kankest- ‎(“horse”)) + mann ‎(“man”). Cognate with German Hengstmann ‎(“a groom”), Icelandic hestamaður ‎(“horseman, groom”). More at man.

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