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

According to the Metropolitan Police, six suspects wearing motorcycle helmets visited the store, with one entering and threatening staff and members of the public with weapons, including machetes. —Tianwei Zhang, Footwear News, 23 Jan. 2026

Security cameras captured the suspect swinging the machete and shattering the glass while the owner tried to hold the doors closed. —Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026

In that incident, officers were called to the Walmart after a man with a machete was seen in the pharmacy area, according to the GBI. —Alexis Stevens, AJC.com, 16 Jan. 2026

Guns and machetes in hand, our captors surrounded us and tied us to a tree. —Jon Meyersohn, Vanity Fair, 15 Jan. 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