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hon·cho

(hŏnchō) Slang

n. pl. hon·chos

A person who is in charge; a manager or leader: "Now that Hollywood honchos have discovered the verdant beachfront villages, the stores have grown in scope and sophistication" (David Field).

tr.v. hon·choed, hon·cho·ing, hon·chos

To direct or manage: "He ... is honchoing preparations for the forthcoming ... economic summit" (Newsweek).

[Japanese hanchō, squad leader : han, squad (from Middle Chinese paːn, division, class; also the source of Mandarin bān) + chō, chief (from Middle Chinese triaŋ´; also the source of Mandarin zhǎng).]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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