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

When his body was found, his wounds appeared to have been inflicted with a knife or machete. — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 22 Aug. 2026

As if on cue, Guerrero’s 98 year old father hikes up the hill to greet us, with the aid of two walking sticks and a machete hanging from his makeshift belt. — Jennifer Leigh Parker, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

The call details stated that a man was attacking people with a machete at that location, police said. — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Aug. 2026

Photograph by Tajette O’Halloran for The New Yorker Two months later, Luwi was playing cards with friends under a tree when a man came from behind and struck him in the head with a machete. — Rachel Aviv, New Yorker, 17 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