Word of the Day

Saturday, October 13, 2001

hector

\HEK-tur\ , noun;

A bully.

transitive verb:

To intimidate or harass in a blustering way; to bully.

intransitive verb:

To play the bully; to bluster.

Quotes:

At both ends of the escalators, attendants . . . hector and berate any passenger who steps out of line.

-- Jeffrey Tayler, "A Means of Transport", The Atlantic, February 1998

. . .salespersons who glom onto you and relentlessly hector you until you buy a service agreement.

-- Dave Barry, "Service Calls", Washington Post, September 2, 2001

Origin:

Hector derives from Greek Hektor, in Greek mythology the chief Trojan warrior and the eldest son of Priam, King of Troy.