machete

noun

ma·​chete mə-ˈshe-tē 

-ˈche-;

-ˈshet

: a large heavy knife used for cutting sugarcane and underbrush and as a weapon

Examples of machete in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The impossible-to-murder pair chase each other with a machete, shotgun, and chainsaw throughout the fantastically campy film, which pays homage to the classics like Death Becomes Her. — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 12 Aug. 2026

Gay then allegedly returned to his vehicle and came back with a machete in its sheath. — Natasha Holt, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2026

The handle was visible, and investigators observed blood on and around the machete, including on the blade. — Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 4 Aug. 2026

In the forest, Anyanwu placed his left leg on a rock, and the oga told one of the men to get a sharp machete. — Alexis Okeowo, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Spanish

First Known Use

1575, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for machete

• agree
• allee
• banshee
• beastly
• bibi
• bowsprit
• carefree
• cerci
• chablis
• cowpea
• crappie
• crappy

Kids Definition

machete

noun

ma·​chete mə-ˈshet-ē 

-ˈchet-ē;

mə-ˈshet

: a large heavy knife used especially for cutting sugarcane and underbrush and as a weapon