Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A corrupt politician.
- noun A member of any of various Chinese-American secret societies active primarily from the mid-1800s to the early 1900s and often involved in criminal activities such as prostitution, blackmail, and hired killings.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A bold, roystering rowdy; an insolent ruffian; one of a gang which commits outrages on persons or property “for fun.”
- noun A member of a Chinese secret society, band, or gang, said to exist in California and other parts of the United States, associated for blackmailing purposes, and even for assassination, in the interest and pay of other societies or individuals.
- Supremely happy.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun United States A ruffian; one who hounds, or spies upon, another; app. esp. to the members of certain alleged societies among the Chinese.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun US, obsolete A
ruffian , especially one of a gang. - noun US, obsolete A member of one of several Chinese criminal gangs associated with illegal immigration and prostitution.
- noun US, dated A
swindler , especially acorrupt politician .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun a corrupt politician
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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It may be that the Chinese 'highbinder' has a discrete origin: thus Asbury _Barbary Coast_ 1933 185: 'The _boo how doy_, popularly known as hatchetmen or highbinders, received regular salaries, with extra pay for exceptional bravery in battle.'
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It may be that the Chinese 'highbinder' has a discrete origin: thus Asbury _Barbary Coast_ 1933 185: 'The _boo how doy_, popularly known as hatchetmen or highbinders, received regular salaries, with extra pay for exceptional bravery in battle.'
Archive 2007-10-01 2007
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The Senator is just not the highbinder you may have imagined.
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Ah Sing in the swelling of commendable pride, at having outwitted the most notorious highbinder in Chinatown, built him a house that was quite large enough to swing a cat in, and as gorgeous inside as a joss house, and quite as dingy without, with the wisdom of Confucius done in very large characters on very red paper pasted all about the front door.
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After that no self-respecting highbinder could hold up his head.
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Ah Sing in the swelling of commendable pride, at having outwitted the most notorious highbinder in Chinatown, built him a house that was quite large enough to swing a cat in, and as gorgeous inside as a joss house, and quite as dingy without, with the wisdom of Confucius done in very large characters on very red paper pasted all about the front door.
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After that no self-respecting highbinder could hold up his head.
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The highbinder, evincing not the slightest irritation at his failures, changed the method of attack.
THE PLAGUE SHIP 1993
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I explained that a highbinder ranked with a professional murderer in this country, whereupon she again laughed, and, turning to General ----, in a loud voice said, "General, I have been calling the ---- a highbinder," at which the company laughed at my expense.
As A Chinaman Saw Us Passages from his Letters to a Friend at Home Anonymous
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And twelve for Tessie, and eight for this highbinder on my knee, here!
Poor, Dear Margaret Kirby Kathleen Thompson Norris 1923
mollusque commented on the word highbinder
They saw the woman that had the guitar, an' there was a company a−listenin', regular highbinders all of 'em; an' there was a long table all spread out with big candlesticks like little trees o' light, and a sight o' glass an' silver ware; an' part o' the men was young officers in uniform . . .
--Sarah Orne Jewett, 1900, The Foreigner
January 28, 2010
qms commented on the word highbinder
You can’t say the man’s a blindsider
Or dodgy evasive sidewinder.
He comes with lips open
And stubby hands gropin’.
A venomous preening highbinder.
August 10, 2018