hatchet man

Noun

hatchet man (plural hatchet men)

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. (US, historical) A male hatchet-wielding participant in a Chinese-American tong war.

   Synonyms:

   boo how doy

3. (colloquial, idiomatic) A 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.