headhunting
[ hed-huhn-ting ]
/ ˈhɛdˌhʌn tɪŋ /
Save This Word!
noun
(among certain primitive peoples) the practice of hunting down and decapitating victims and preserving their heads as trophies.
the act or practice of actively searching for new employees, especially for professionals or executives: Every June the electronics manufacturers go headhunting among the newly graduated engineers.
the act or practice of firing without cause, especially someone disliked: Their periodic headhunting was a contributing factor in the company's failures.
the act or practice of trying to destroy the power, position, or influence of one's competitors or foes: Headhunting is ferocious in advertising.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use headhunting in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for headhunting
head-hunting
noun
the practice among certain peoples of removing the heads of slain enemies and preserving them as trophies
the recruitment, esp through an agency, of executives from one company to another, often rival, company
US slang the destruction or neutralization of political opponents
Derived forms of head-hunting
head-hunter, nounCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012