hired gun








noun Informal.

  1. a person hired to kill someone, as a gunfighter or professional killer.
  2. a person hired to bear arms and fight for another, as a bodyguard or mercenary.
  3. a person, as a politician or lobbyist, skilled at attaining power for others.
  4. a person hired to resolve difficult problems or disputes or to handle complex legal or business problems.
1

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.

2

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]

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