TOP

Definition of hatchet man noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

hatchet man

noun

/ˈhætʃɪt mæn/

/ˈhætʃɪt mæn/

(informal)

jump to other results

a person employed by an organization to make changes that are not popular with the other people who work there
Word Originlate 19th cent. (originally US): figuratively, from an early use denoting a hired Chinese assassin.

Questions about grammar and vocabulary?

Find the answers with Practical English Usage online, your indispensable guide to problems in English.

See hatchet man in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

Check pronunciation: hatchet man

Nearby words

noun

From the Word list

B2

Oxford Learner's Dictionaries Word of the Day