A bravo, bully; a hired assassin. Obsolete or archaic.

A daring villain, a hired soldier or assassin; ‘a man who murders for hire’ (Johnson); a reckless desperado.

A member of a gang or army adhering to a particular leader; a hired ruffian or mercenary.

A man given to or characterized by riotous, thuggish, and threatening behaviour; one who behaves in a blustering, swaggering, and aggressive manner…

A thug or ruffian hired for purposes of violence or intimidation. Cf. bully boy, n. 2. Obsolete.

U.S. A hired ruffian.

A person who rides by night, esp. on horseback; (U.S.) spec. a member of a mounted gang committing acts of violence, esp. as a means of…

A tough, aggressive young man; a ruffian; spec. a hired thug. Now also in somewhat weakened sense: a man or boy who is a bully. Cf. bully, n.1 3.

Originally U.S. A physically powerful person, a person who uses violence; spec. a criminal who resorts to violence, a person employed to use…

a gunman; a hired thug or bodyguard; also figurative.

A person hired (esp. by racketeers) to terrorize workers; a thug. Originally U.S.