hired gun

noun, Informal.
1.
a person hired to kill someone, as a gunfighter or professional killer.
2.
a person hired to bear arms and fight for another, as a bodyguard or mercenary.
3.
a person, as a politician or lobbyist, skilled at attaining power for others.
4.
a person hired to resolve difficult problems or disputes or to handle complex legal or business problems.
Origin
1965-70
Examples from the web for hired gun
  • He was cryptology's hired gun, and everywhere he went his reputation as a publisher of government secrets followed him.
  • More importantly, you realize that as a foreigner, you will be seen as a hired gun.
Slang definitions & phrases for hired gun

hired gun

modifier

: elaborated on his ''hired gun'' reference in an interview

noun phrase
  1. A professional killer; hit man (1958+)
  2. An employee or agent, esp in some aggressive capacity: We're not just ''hired guns'' out to raise a few bucks for the place/ Keith is not going anywhere as a hired gun for one year (1970s+)

Idioms and Phrases with hired gun

hired gun

.
A person, especially a professional killer, employed to kill someone, as in They thought the murder had been done by a hired gun. The noun gun has been slang for a professional criminal since the mid-1800s.
.
A person with special knowledge or expertise who is employed to resolve a complex problem. For example, The legal team was looking for a hired gun to handle the antitrust angle of the case. [ ; 1960s ]