honcho

noun

hon·​cho ˈhän-(ˌ)chō How to pronounce honcho (audio)
plural honchos

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A relic of the large U.S. presence in Japan in the years following World War II, the word honcho comes from the Japanese word hanchō meaning “leader of the squad, section, group.” We are uncertain of the exact route by which honcho found its way into American military argot in the mid-1950s, though it is known that the Japanese applied hanchō to British or Australian officers in charge of work parties in prisoner-of-war camps. By the 1960s, the word had become part of colloquial American jargon.

Examples of honcho in a Sentence

the office was all abuzz because some honchos from corporate headquarters were coming for a visit he's definitely the head honcho in that company
Recent Examples on the Web
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Pictured below with Capitol Records formidable A&R honcho Carter Gregory at the Vetements show on September 27, Cabello is decked out in this moment’s ragingly trendy see-thru black lace bodysuit, buttressed with a black mini and covered with a giant black coat. Guy Martin, Forbes, 29 Sep. 2024 Saturday Night Live honcho Lorne Michaels, who previously produced the stage musical adaptation of Mean Girls and Tom Stoppard's Leopoldstadt. Dave Quinn, Peoplemag, 10 Sep. 2024 Jane Street Capital honcho Tim Reynolds launched the brand, now with locations in the Dominican Republic, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Anguilla, in 2010. Nicola Leigh Stewart, Robb Report, 24 July 2024 But after her arrest, the powerful union’s honcho soured on Zhuang. Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 17 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for honcho 

Word History

Etymology

Japanese hanchō squad leader, from han squad + chō head, chief

First Known Use

1945, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of honcho was in 1945

Dictionary Entries Near honcho

Cite this Entry

“Honcho.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/honcho. Accessed 13 Dec. 2024.

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