henchman
noun
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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."
Examples of henchman in a Sentence
Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 May 2024
The story, where Bajpayee’s character faces off against a powerful man and his henchmen to seek revenge for wrongs done to his family, is literally ripped from the headlines.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 15 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for henchman 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'henchman.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Henchman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/henchman. Accessed 31 May. 2024.
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henchman
noun
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