Meaning
Boss, leader.
Etymology
Origin: Japanese
From Japanese 班(はん)長(ちょう) (hanchō, “squad leader”), from 19th c. Mandarin 班長 /班长 (bānzhǎng, “team leader”). Probably entered English during World War II: many apocryphal stories describe American soldiers hearing Japanese prisoners-of-war refer to their lieutenants as hanchō.
Synonyms & Antonyms
NYT Puzzle Appearances
Accepted in 13 recorded puzzles:
- 2026-10-06CDEHNOT
- 2026-08-13NACHLOY
- 2026-06-10HCGIMNO
- 2026-04-12NALECHO
- 2025-11-30OCGHINU
- 2025-10-18OCEHLNU
- 2025-09-04OACHLNRY
- 2025-08-07OCKHGIN
- 2025-03-17HTCONDE
- 2024-12-19OCMHGIN
- 2024-12-14HANECLO
- 2024-06-02HANICLO
+1 earlier appearances in the archive.