Skip to content
word of the day

The word for today is…

henchman (noun):

1a : a trusted follower : a right-hand man
b : a political follower whose support is chiefly for personal advantage
c : a member of a gang
2 obsolete : a squire or page to a person of high rank

Source : Merriam -Webster

Etymology : The earliest known examples of henchman show it being used as a term for a squire or a page, but the word may have seen earlier use with the meaning “groom.” It first appeared in Middle English and is a combination of Old English hengest (“a male horse”) and man. One of the duties of a groom, squire, or page to a person of high rank was tending horses, and such a person was relied upon, which influenced the broader senses of henchman including “right-hand man.”

If you enjoyed this BFD word of the day please consider sharing it with your friends and, especially, your children.

Latest