honcho

[ hon-choh ]

noun

, plural hon·chos.

1. a leader, especially an assertive leader; chief.

verb (used with object)

1. to organize, supervise, or be the leader of:

   She volunteered to honcho the new project.

honcho

/ ˈhɒntʃəʊ /

noun

1. the person in charge; the boss

verb

1. to supervise or be in charge of

Word History and Origins

Origin of honcho¹

First recorded in 1945–50; from Japanese hanchō “squad or group leader,” equivalent to han “squad” (from Middle Chinese, equivalent to Chinese bān “group”) + -chō “eldest, chief”

Word History and Origins

Origin of honcho¹

C20: from Japanese han'chō group leader

Example Sentences

He would be named head honcho simply because he is a great co-host.

From Los Angeles Times

New York Times reporting suggests, however, that her ego simply could not allow her to admit that she's not the head honcho of the House GOP.

From Salon

Oppenheimer, played by Cillian Murphy, saw the terror coming, and experienced his fair share of remorse; some of the movie’s most indelible scenes depict the Los Alamos honcho shuddering at what he hath wrought.

From Los Angeles Times

Washington State’s head honcho acknowledges that with every big game his team wins, every Quadrant 1 victory the Cougars secure, they inch closer to breaking a decade-long drought.

From Seattle Times

A culture gap and the disproportionate influence that India’s founding generation of company honchos still wield over their companies continue to stymie those wanting access to a $25 billion market.

From Seattle Times