machete

noun

ma·​chete mə-ˈshe-tē How to pronounce machete (audio)
-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
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This vignette of administrative chaos exacerbated by mass layoffs will be familiar to any federal employee or contractor whose agency has been felled of late by the whimsical machete of DOGE. Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 10 May 2025 The guard approached, with his hand apparently ready to draw his firearm, which prompted Scott to run off, ditching the machete in his escape. Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 7 May 2025 The bow of the boat resembles the machete or knife called a panga. Terry Collins, USA Today, 5 May 2025 The woman then began swinging the machete and moved towards two of the vehicles. Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 3 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for machete

Word History

Etymology

Spanish

First Known Use

1575, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of machete was in 1575

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Machete.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/machete. Accessed 23 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

machete

noun
ma·​chete mə-ˈshet-ē How to pronounce machete (audio)
-ˈchet-ē;
mə-ˈshet
: a large heavy knife used especially for cutting sugarcane and underbrush and as a weapon

More from Merriam-Webster on machete

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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