Haymaker

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A strong and decisive punch thrown with the intent to inflict maximum damage during a fight or competition
2. A forceful blow delivered with great strength ; a laborer who cuts and gathers hay from fields
3. An intense strike usually aimed to end a conflict quickly ; someone engaged in the agricultural work of collecting hay

Etymology: The word is built from two plain English parts. "Hay" is the dried grass cut and cured for animal fodder, and "maker" is one who makes, so a haymaker was originally a farm worker who turned cut grass in the field so it would dry in the sun. Middle English had the compound "heymakere" for this agricultural labourer long before the word meant anything about fists. The sense of a powerful, swinging blow comes from the rhythm of the work. Mowing and tossing hay required a broad, sweeping arm motion, and that same wide, full-bodied swing was what a fighter threw when he wanted to land the hardest possible punch. The image carried over from field to boxing ring, and the sporting sense became the word's dominant meaning.

Synonyms: sucker punch, knockout punch, blow, strike