hatchet man

See also: hatchetman

English

Alternative forms

• hatchetman

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU):

  (file)

Noun

hatchet man (plural hatchet men)

1. A professional killer or gunman.

   The crime lord dispatched his favorite hatchet man to make sure the witness would not testify.

2. (colloquial, idiomatic) Someone who carries out brutal and unpleasant duties on behalf of another, such as firing dead wood employees.

   After the layoffs, he gained a reputation as a hatchet man and ended up eating lunches alone.

Synonyms

• (professional killer): assassin, hitman

Translations

professional killer

• Italian: sicario (it)
• Russian: ки́ллер (ru) (kíller)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Spanish: sicario (es)