Third person singular of hector: to bully or threaten someone; or plural of hector, meaning bullies or aggressive people.
From Hector, the legendary Trojan warrior in Homer's Iliad. The name became associated with bullying behavior through 17th-century street gangs called 'Hectors' who intimidated people. The meaning shifted from a heroic figure to an aggressive troublemaker.
It's wild that one of history's greatest warriors gave his name to bullying! Homer's Hector was noble and brave, but centuries later, London's rowdy gangs flipped the meaning entirely—now 'hectoring' someone means badgering them.
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