hector
The origin and history of hector.
Etymology
From Hector, the noble Trojan warrior in Homer's Iliad. Ironically, the verb sense came from swaggering London gangs of the 1600s who called themselves "Hectors" after the hero's reputation for boldness — but their bullying behavior twisted the name into an insult.
Class of 1600
hector first entered the language around 1600. Other words from the same year:
See the full Class of 1600 →