hatchet man

plural hatchet men · alternative hatchetman · alternative hatchet-man

1. A male professional killer or gunman.

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

   Synonyms: hitman

2. UShistoricalA male hatchet-wielding participant in a Chinese-American tong war.

   Synonyms: boo how doy

3. colloquialidiomaticA male 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.