Definition of machete
: a large heavy knife used for cutting sugarcane and underbrush and as a weapon
Explore M-W
Recent Examples of machete from the Web
-
The area is usually crowded on weekends with bar patrons and people eating at restaurants, and three men emerged from the van with knives and a machete, stabbing indiscriminately, causing mass confusion and panic.
-
Surveillance footage from Walmart showed Wasni walking about the store with a knife and machete and then leaving without paying for it, the prosecutor said.
-
Authorities did not find a gun, but the machete used in the hate crime was recovered at the scene, officials say.
-
The machete Hammond allegedly used in the assault was found inside the apartment, according to CBS San Francisco.
-
Noriega was a brash dictator, according to reports, living a lavish lifestyle on money from drug sales and was known to wave a machete while making speeches.
-
At one point, after two Wula performers threatened each other with machetes, the hip-hop dancers persuaded them to back down.
-
The video showed soldiers kicking men in the face on the ground as well as holding a machete to a man’s throat.
-
Agents can work as technological machetes, clearing the lush data tangle of the Web.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'machete'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of machete
Spanish
First Known Use: circa 1575
MACHETE Defined for English Language Learners
machete
playDefinition of machete for English Language Learners
-
: a large, heavy knife that is used for cutting plants and as a weapon
MACHETE Defined for Kids
machete
playDefinition of machete for Students
: a large heavy knife used for cutting sugarcane and underbrush and as a weapon
Learn More about machete
-
See words that rhyme with machete Spanish Central: Translation of machete Nglish: Translation of machete for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of machete for Arabic speakers
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up machete? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!