hatchet

noun

hatch·​et ˈha-chət 

1

: a short-handled ax often with a hammerhead to be used with one hand

2

: tomahawk

Examples of hatchet in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Closest to the fence was a pig man with a rubber hand, who was gripping a hatchet with his flesh-and-blood hand. — Will MacKin, New Yorker, 28 June 2026

This is when the man went inside the home, grabbed a hatchet and used it to strike the bear multiple times, police said. — Brandon Downs, CBS News, 10 June 2026

Now in peacetime and with a new set of actors, the time had come to bury the hatchet and settle the issue between once and for all. — Literary Hub, 13 May 2026

Her memoir settles a few scores, generally with a stiletto rather than a hatchet. — Susan Page, USA Today, 29 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English hachet, from Anglo-French hachette, diminutive of hache battle-ax — more at hash

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing hatchet

• bury the hatchet
• hatchet face
• hatchet job
• hatchet man
• hatchet work

Rhymes for hatchet

• ratchet

Kids Definition

hatchet

noun

hatch·​et ˈhach-ət 

: a small ax with a short handle

Etymology

Middle English hachet "small ax, hatchet," from early French hachette, literally, "small battle-ax," from hache "battle-ax"; of Germanic origin — related to hash entry 1, hatch entry 4

Medical Definition

hatchet

noun

hatch·​et ˈhach-ət 

: a dental excavator