different between henchman vs drudge

English

Etymology

From Middle English henxman (“page, attendant”), from Old English *hengstmann, *hengestmann (“groom”, literally “horseman”), from hengst, hengest (“stallion, horse, steed, gelding”) (from Proto-Germanic *hangistaz (“stallion”), from Proto-Indo-European *?an?est-, *kankest- (“horse”)) + mann (“man”). Cognate with archaic German Hengstmann (“a groom”), Icelandic hestamaður (“horseman, groom”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?h?nt?.m?n/

Noun

henchman (plural henchmen)

1. A loyal and trusted follower or subordinate.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:loyal follower

2. A person who supports a political figure chiefly out of selfish interests.
3. An assistant member of a criminal gang.
4. (obsolete) A page to a prince or other person of high rank.

Translations

English

Etymology

From Middle English druggen, which is possibly related to Old English dr?ogan.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d??d?/
• Rhymes: -?d?

Noun

drudge (plural drudges)

1. A person who works in a low servile job.
2. (derogatory) Someone who works for (and may be taken advantage of by) someone else.

Derived terms

• drudgery
• drudgy

Related terms

• dree
• adree

Translations

Verb

drudge (third-person singular simple present drudges, present participle drudging, simple past and past participle drudged)

1. (intransitive) To labour in (or as in) a low servile job.
   • 1682, Thomas Otway, Venice Preserv'd

     Rise to our Toils and drudge away the day.

Translations

References

• Douglas Harper (2001–2021) , “drudge”, in Online Etymology Dictionary