hatchet man
or hatch·et·man
a professional murderer.
a writer or speaker who specializes in defamatory attacks, as on political candidates or public officials.
a person whose job it is to execute unpleasant tasks for a superior, as dismissing employees.
Origin of hatchet man
1- Also called axman.
Words Nearby hatchet man
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use hatchet man in a sentence
And woe to the boat if her hatchet-man fails to cut the rope at the very second of danger!
Careers of Danger and Daring | Cleveland MoffettThe hatchet-man with whom Wilbur was fighting had been backing in this direction.
Moran of the Lady Letty | Frank NorrisOh, yes; told me I was a hatchet man and trying to get the man's job.
Warren Commission (12 of 26): Hearings Vol. XII (of 15) | The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy
British Dictionary definitions for hatchet man
a person carrying out unpleasant assignments for an employer or superior
US and Canadian a hired murderer
a severe or malicious critic
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with hatchet man
A person assigned or hired to carry out a disagreeable task or unscrupulous order. For example, When it came to firing an employee, Arthur was his boss's hatchet man. This expression originally referred to a hired assassin but in the mid-1900s was transferred to less nefarious enterprises.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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