Definition of hetman

< heth

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het·man    (htmn) KEY 

NOUN:
pl. het·mans

See ataman.

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ETYMOLOGY:
Ukrainian het'man, from Polish hetman, from German dialectal hötmann, hetmann, captain; akin to German Hauptmann, from Middle High German houbetman : houbet, head (from Old High German houbit; see kaput- in Indo-European roots) + man, man (from Old High German; see fugleman)