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

Or elevate a single man as head honcho?

From Los Angeles Times

Its activist investing honcho, James Chadwick, once told a podcast his fund often gets involved at the prodding of a former insider or other person knowledgeable about a particular target company.

From The Wall Street Journal

Mahan, who recently entered the race, wasn’t required to file a campaign fundraising disclosure, though he is expected to have notable support from wealthy Silicon Valley tech honchos.

From Los Angeles Times

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