panga

American  

[pahng-guh] / ˈpɑŋ gə /

noun

1. a large, broad-bladed African knife used as a weapon or as an implement for cutting heavy jungle growth, sugarcane, etc.; machete.

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panga British  

/ ˈpæŋɡə /

noun

1. a broad heavy knife of E Africa, used as a tool or weapon

2. a small fishing boat first developed in Japan and now used chiefly in US and Central American waters

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Etymology

Origin of panga

Borrowed into English from Swahili around 1930–35

Example Sentences

Four people died after a panga boat capsized off the San Diego County coast early Saturday morning, authorities said.

From Los Angeles Times

A year earlier, a man and two women died when a panga boat crashed into rocks at the base of the cliffs of Point Loma in San Diego.

From Los Angeles Times

Alcarez piloted a panga boat — a small, fishing-style vessel often used by human smugglers — to illegally bring an estimated 12 people into the United States from Mexico, prosecutors said.

From Seattle Times

The caller said that another panga boat had capsized, with eight to 10 people in the water.

From New York Times

It was even better than she had hoped for: It was a big, beautiful, strong panga, the perfect tool for cutting mutarara branches.

From Literature