machete

American  

[muh-shet-ee, -chet-ee] / məˈʃɛt i, -ˈtʃɛt i /

noun

• machetes
  plural

1. a large heavy knife used especially in Latin American countries in cutting sugarcane and clearing underbrush and as a weapon.

2. a tarpon, Elops affinis, of the eastern Pacific Ocean, having an elongated, compressed body.

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machete British  

/ məˈʃɛtɪ, -ˈtʃeɪ- /

noun

1. a broad heavy knife used for cutting or as a weapon, esp in parts of Central and South America

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• machetes
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of machete

First recorded in 1575–1600; < Spanish, equivalent to mach(o) “mallet” ( cf. mace ¹) + -ete noun suffix ( see -et ( def. ))

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Compare meaning

How does machete compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• kukri vs. machete

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Explanation

A machete is a huge, heavy, powerful knife, used mainly in Central and South America. A machete is great for cutting vegetation, but you wouldn't want to confront one in a dark alley. Many things in life have a nice use and a not-so-nice use. That's especially true of the machete. This enormous knife would look out of place at the dinner table, but for a farmer, it’s a huge help in cutting down vegetation or clearing brush. In the hands of a criminal, a machete is a terrifying weapon. Some criminal groups are known for their use of the machete and its scary power to slice through a victim.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

machete machetes

Arrabaca had two axes, a hammer, a machete, six fireworks and three fixed-blade knives, Barnacle said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

Cuellar identified the man who allegedly wielded the machete as Cornell Richardson, 32.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026

As the two old men told their stories, a youngster brushed past them, a machete slung over his shoulder.

From Barron's ● Mar. 14, 2026

"It was more like Lord of the Flies or Borstal," she said, adding that every girl there had a machete, in order to cut the grass.

From BBC ● Jan. 24, 2026

After using his machete to hack his way through the dense foliage—all while getting stung and bitten by wasps and ants—Kermit would set up the sighting rod.

From "Death on the River of Doubt" by Samantha Seiple

Besides pulling off dozens of ticks, Bardwell recalled the main challenge being “wait-a-minute vines,” made tougher by cheap, ineffective machetes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 23, 2026

The ban covers machetes, which are broadly defined as "knives with a cutting blade longer than 20cm".

From BBC ● May 26, 2025

The Home Office underestimated how many zombie knives and machetes would be surrendered ahead of a recent ban, documents show.

From BBC ● Nov. 20, 2024

One expert questioned whether the two machetes we bought met the definition of having a "sharp pointed end" - a definition that hasn’t been considered yet in court.

From BBC ● Nov. 15, 2024

The workers, who had been content to wait until then, went into the woods with no other weapons but their working machetes and they began to sabotage the sabotage.

From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

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