hired gun (hīrd)
n.
Slang
One, especially a professional killer, who is hired to kill another person. One hired to fight for or protect another. One who is proficient at obtaining power for others. One with special knowledge or expertise, as in business, law, or government, who is hired to resolve particularly difficult or complex problems.
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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Slang Dictionary
hired gun
- n.
a paid assassin. (Underworld.) : The cops are holding a well-known hired gun until they can prepare charges.
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Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Idioms & Phrases
hired gun
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A person, especially a professional killer, employed to kill-someone, as in They thought the murder had been done by a hired gun. The noun gun has been slang for a professional criminal since the mid-1800s.
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A person with special knowledge or expertise who is employed to resolve a complex problem. For example, The legal team was looking for a hired gun to handle the antitrust angle of the case. [Slang; 1960s]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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