noun, plural John Henries for 1.
- Informal. a person’s signature.
- U.S. Folklore. a legendary black man of exceptional strength and stamina.
An American folksong (see folk music) about the “steel-driving man” John Henry. It contains these lines:
John Henry said to his captain,
“A man ain’t nothin’ but a man,
And before I’d let your steam drill beat me down,
I’d die with the hammer in my hand, Lord, Lord!
I’d die with the hammer in my hand.”