honcho

American  

[hon-choh] / ˈhɒn tʃoʊ /

noun

plural

honchos

1. a leader, especially an assertive leader; chief.

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verb (used with object)

1. to organize, supervise, or be the leader of.

   She volunteered to honcho the new project.

honcho British  

/ ˈhɒntʃəʊ /

noun

1. the person in charge; the boss

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verb

1. to supervise or be in charge of

Etymology

Origin of honcho

First recorded in 1945–50; from Japanese hanchō “squad or group leader,” equivalent to han “squad” (from Middle Chinese, equivalent to Chinese bān “group”) + -chō “eldest, chief”

Example Sentences

Finally, Mr. Reiner prevailed upon Norman Lear—once his boss on “All in the Family,” then the head honcho of Embassy Pictures—to provide backing.

From The Wall Street Journal

The tech honcho was caught on the kiss cam during a Coldplay concert at Gillette Stadium in Boston, swaying with his company’s head of hiring.

From Salon

He would be named head honcho simply because he is a great co-host.

From Los Angeles Times

New York Times reporting suggests, however, that her ego simply could not allow her to admit that she's not the head honcho of the House GOP.

From Salon

Oppenheimer, played by Cillian Murphy, saw the terror coming, and experienced his fair share of remorse; some of the movie’s most indelible scenes depict the Los Alamos honcho shuddering at what he hath wrought.

From Los Angeles Times