hired hand

American  

noun

1. a hired laborer, especially on a farm or ranch; farm hand or ranch hand.

2. an employee.

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hired hand Idioms  

1. Also,. A person engaged to assist with farm or domestic chores, as in We need extra hired hands during the harvest, or She was looking for a hired girl to do the laundry. This use of hired dates from the 1200s and referred to someone employed for wages as opposed to a slave or serf. The use of girl now may be offensive.

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Etymology

Origin of hired hand

An Americanism dating back to 1810–20

Example Sentences

Adding to the diverse mix were hired hands from tribes such as the Comanche, Cheyenne and Apache, who became unrivaled horse whisperers long before settlers arrived on their lands.

From Los Angeles Times

Even as fire turned Santa Monica an apocalyptic shade of orange, hired hands went about their business as if it were just another day on the job.

From Los Angeles Times

Mina also wrote a tongue-in-cheek subplot involving the inner workings of an artistic estate — her way of nodding at the ambitious one of which she became a hired hand.

From Los Angeles Times

As liner notes began listing personnel, their skills cultivated fan bases and they came to be seen less as reliable hired hands than specialized, sought-after artists.

From Los Angeles Times

Today, many farmers still oppose DST because it is generally disruptive, such as in dairying, and prefer they and their hired hands work more in the cooler morning hours than the hotter late-day hours.

From Washington Post

Related Words

• casual laborer
• day laborer
• farmhand
• hand
• help
• hired help