John Henry

American  

noun

plural

John Henries

1. Informal. a person's signature.

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

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Henry, John ¹ Cultural  

1. A hero of American folktales and folk songs. The stories portray him as a black man, enormously strong, who worked on railroads or on steamboats and died from exhaustion after he outperformed a steam drill in a contest.

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“John Henry” ² Cultural  

1. 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.”

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Etymology

Origin of John Henry

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

Example Sentences

John Henry, 71, from Northampton, who is on holiday with his family, was at a shopping centre when they got an air raid alert.

From BBC • Feb. 28, 2026

National Cash Register founder John Henry Patterson elevated the role of sales and the position of salesperson, recognizing that marketing matters just as much as the product.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 23, 2025

Kirsh can’t resist taunting his foe through milky spittle, reminding Morrow that John Henry died of exhaustion.

From Salon • Sep. 24, 2025

John Henry Newman was first made a cardinal in 1879 by Pope Leo XIII, a position he held for 11 years before his death.

From BBC • Aug. 10, 2025

“Okay, John Henry may be our best bet. We need to talk to his spirit. We either look for his haint or conjure his ghost.”

From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas

Related Words

• impression
• imprint
• line
• point
• record
• scar
• score
• signature
• spot
• stain
• stamp
• streak
• symbol