headhuntv.
/ˈhɛdhʌnt/, U.S. /ˈhɛdˌ(h)ənt/ 1. intransitive. With reference to certain tribal societies: to engage in or practise headhunting (headhunting n. 1). Now chiefly historical.
ΚΠ
1851 Let. 6 Dec. in Colonial Church Chron. (1852) 5 350 [He] then asked each chief, in succession, whether he would..promise neither to head-hunt himself, or allow his followers to do so.
1937 Atlanta Constit. 18 July 8 a/3 An order forbidding members of a tribe to head-hunt was disobeyed.
1986 W. A. Foley Papuan Lang. New Guinea ii. 23 Iatmul villages often raided and headhunted in other Iatmul villages.., the shared language being no hindrance to these raids.
2005 E. von Aderkas Amer. Indians of Pacific Northwest 24 They also headhunted to honor their dead; as soon as one of their tribe died, a canoe party paddled to a neighboring village to kill someone of equal rank.
2.
a. intransitive. To engage in recruitment by headhunting (headhunting n. 2).
ΚΠ
1968 Railway Age 17 June 26 Keeping trained men is also a problem... Even railroad suppliers are head hunting.
1986 ABA Jrnl. 1 Aug. 22/3 Firms learn..that they can use data bases to head-hunt.
2010 Times Educ. Suppl. 2 Apr. 22 The minimum starting salary is £100,000 and, as academies continue to headhunt, that is increasing.
b. transitive. To recruit (a person) by headhunting.
ΘΚΠ
society > occupation and work > working > labour supply > [verb (transitive)] > seek employee
headhunt1969
1969 Financial Times 8 Jan. 13/1 The great majority [of top executive jobs] are still filled in the orthodox manner... The rest of the men are head-hunted.
1977 New Scientist 18 Aug. 435/1 After two years with Slater, von Luttitz was head-hunted by..Baring Brothers.
2002 Times 11 Feb. 8/1 Mr Milburn will order officials to headhunt suitable managers from the private sector.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2013; most recently modified version published online June 2022).
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