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hired gun. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
hired gun, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
hired gun in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
hired gun you have here. The definition of the word
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English
Pronunciation
Noun
hired gun (plural hired guns)
- A person who is employed as an armed guard, enforcer, or mercenary and who is prepared to use gunplay or similar violent methods in order to assert the interests of their employer.
2008 December 9, Rania Abouzeid, “Iraqis Welcome Blackwater Indictments”, in Time:The hired guns, who protect diplomats, dignitaries and businesspeople, tear through the streets of the capital in convoys of armored SUVs.
- (idiomatic, by extension) A person who is employed to advance the interests of their employer, especially in a vigorous manner using such methods as political lobbying, legal advocacy, or persuasion.
1999 November 22, Viveca Novak, “The Claritin Case”, in Time:[O]ne of Gore's senior advisers, top-tier lobbyist Peter Knight, is a hired gun for pharmaceuticals giant Schering-Plough.
Synonyms
- (person employed as an armed guard, enforcer, or mercenary): gunfighter
See also