Honcho

Noun

 * 1) boss, leader
 * 2) * 1983: Max Von Sidewinder is back to play Spectre's head honcho, only now we see his face! &mdash; net.movies, 7 Nov 1983
 * 3) * 2001: Gulfstream makes jets for both Hollywood honchos and foreign governments like Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. &mdash; Michael Moore, Stupid White Men, 2001, p.22

Derived terms

 * head honcho

Thesaurus
boss, chief, chieftain, cock, electronics king, head, headman, hierarch, king, lead, leader, leading light, luminary, master, master spirit, paramount, prima donna, principal, star, superstar, top dog

Etymology
From 班長:, probably via American English. Apocryphal stories abound regarding American soldiers hearing Japanese POW's refer to their lieutenants by this phrase during World War II.