hench·man 
(hĕnchmən)
(hĕnchmən)n.
1. A loyal and trusted follower or subordinate, especially one who engages in unscrupulous or criminal behavior on the leader's behalf.
2. A person who supports a political figure chiefly out of selfish interests.
3. A member of a criminal gang.
4. Obsolete A page to a prince or other person of high rank.
[Scots hanchman, alteration (probably influenced by Scots hainch, hench, haunch, as of a horse) of Early Modern English hensman, henchman, attendant who walks or rides beside a person of rank in processions on horseback, from Middle English hengsman : hengest, steed, horse (from Old English, from Germanic *hangistaz, stallion; akin to Lithuanian šankus, quick, nimble, and Welsh caseg, mare) + man, man; see MAN (the Middle English compound probably being formed on the model of Old Norse hestamaðr, groom : hestr, stallion + maðr, man).]