Machete

Pronunciation

• IPA: /məˈʃɛ.ti/

Origin

From Spanish machete, diminutive of macho ("sledgehammer"), from Latin mattea, cognate with Old French machier, French massue, English mace.

Full definition of machete

Noun

1. A sword-like tool used for cutting large plants with a chopping motion. A machete's blade is usually 50 to 65 centimeters (cm) long, and up to three millimeters (mm) thick.

Synonyms

• bolo

Verb

1. To cut or chop with a machete.After some hours of intense work, we had macheted a path through the jungle to the bank of the river.
2. To hack or chop crudely with a blade other than a machete.You can't just machete about with a rapier and expect to succeed; you need to thrust properly.----