Definition of "headhunting" [headhunting]

• The custom of cutting off and preserving the heads of enemies as trophies. (noun)
• Slang The process of attempting to remove influence and power from enemies, especially political enemies. (noun)
• Informal The business of recruiting personnel, especially executive personnel, as for a corporation. (noun)
• Informal The act or an instance of such recruiting. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Hence the handy use of the word headhunting, which is basically true."
• "What may change is a decrease in headhunting, which is a good thing."
• "The department and technology companies have had differing visions of how far employers should be able to go in agreeing to limit the kind of headhunting that can help valuable employees increase their compensation."