ˈhīˌbīndə(r) noun
( -s )
Etymology: from the Highbinders, a gang of vagabonds in New York City ab 1806
1.
a. : thug , gangster , ruffian
this gang of highbinders were supposed to be enforcing the law — Julien Hyer
b. : hatchet man ; specifically : a member of an organized band of Chinese professional killers operating in the Chinese quarter of an American city
2. : a person who engages in fraudulent or shady activities : confidence man, swindler
employ the saliva test on horses to guard against highbinders injecting stimulants — C.B.Davis
the highbinder boys of the last Florida boom — Robert Moses
specifically : a corrupt or scheming politician
the county payroll has 2,200 experienced vote raisers, many of them highbinders of the lowest degree — Nation