honcho

Meaning

Noun

Boss, leader.

Verb

To lead or manage.

Synonyms

chief

boss

gaffer

leader

foreman

fuhrer

head

mastermind

ringleader

ruler

team leader

tribune

group leader

squad leader

authority

caudillo

bellwether

chairperson

commander

conductor

Translations

chef

capo

رئِيس العُمّال

cap

patró

dirigent

capitost

líder

patrona

Anführer

Führer

Hauptmann

Kopf

Leiter

🪜

كبِير العُمّال

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈhɑn.t͡ʃoʊ/

Etymology

From Japanese 班(はん)長(ちょう) (hanchō, “squad leader”), from 19th c. Mandarin 班長 /班长 (bānzhǎng, “team leader”). Probably entered English during World War II: many apocryphal stories describe American soldiers hearing Japanese prisoners-of-war refer to their lieutenants as hanchō.