English

Noun

haymaker ‎(plural haymakers)

1. (agriculture) A person or machine which harvests or prepares tall grass for use as animal fodder.
   • 1853, Charlotte M. Yonge, The Heir of Redclyffe, ch. 7,

     A long rank of haymakers—men and women—proceeded with their rakes, the white shirt-sleeves, straw bonnets, and ruddy faces, radiant in the bath of sunshine.

2. (informal, fisticuffs) A particularly powerful punch, especially one which knocks down an opponent, thrown like a scythe chop for cutting hay, as agricultural haymakers used to have strong arms.
   • 1997, George Church, "Newt's Day of Deliverance," Time, 20 Jan.,

     The saga of Newt Gingrich's ethics suddenly resembles a brawl between blindfolded boxers who flail away so wildly that each lands a haymaker on his own jaw.

3. (figuratively, by extension) Any decisive blow, shock, or forceful action.
   • 2007, Shawn Tully, "Private equity: End of the golden age?," CNNMoney.com, 18 Jun. (retrieved 10 Sep. 2008),

     The real potential haymaker for the industry is a proposal, now gaining support in Congress, that would tax the profits private equity reaps on selling companies not at the low cap gains rate, but at the regular income tax rate.

References

• "haymaker" at OneLook® Dictionary Search.