headhunter
noun
head·hunt·er
ˈhed-ˌhən-tər
variants
or less commonly head hunter
or head-hunter
plural headhunters also head hunters or head-hunters
1
: a recruiter of personnel especially at the executive or elite level
Don't automatically assume that all personnel agencies, job recruiters and executive headhunters are working for your best interest.—Essence
When a corporation enlists the aid of a headhunter to fill a top position, it usually means it has already looked at its internal talent pool …—Mary Miles
2
sports
: an athlete who intentionally seeks to physically intimidate or harm an opponent
[Hockey player Marty] McSorley has had only two other stick suspensions, eight and 12 years ago. … To paint McSorley as a ruthless headhunter is wrong.—Barry Melrose
especially
: a pitcher who deliberately throws balls at or near a batter's head
[Jaret] Wright, a Cleveland righthander who had hit five batters this season and triggered two bench-clearing brawls, was officially condemned as a beanball-throwing bully—a headhunter, as they're known in the hallways of baseball. —Tom Verducci et al.
3
: one that engages in the act or custom of seeking out and decapitating enemies and preserving their heads as trophies
Until recently they were feared as war-like head hunters and maintained few relations with neighbouring tribes.—Christoph von Fürer-Haimendorf
Cite this Entry
“Headhunter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/headhunter. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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