John Henry

noun, plural John Henries for 1.

Informal. a person's signature.

U.S. Folklore. a legendary black man of exceptional strength and stamina.

Origin of John Henry

An Americanism dating back to 1910–15; from the proper name

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Culture definitions for john henry

“John Henry”

An American folksong (see folk music) about the “steel-driving man” John Henry. It contains these lines:

John Henry said to his captain,
“A man ain't nothin' but a man,
And before I'd let your steam drill beat me down,
I'd die with the hammer in my hand, Lord, Lord!
I'd die with the hammer in my hand.”