machete
Americannoun
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machetes
plural
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a large heavy knife used especially in Latin American countries in cutting sugarcane and clearing underbrush and as a weapon.
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a tarpon, Elops affinis, of the eastern Pacific Ocean, having an elongated, compressed body.
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of machete
First recorded in 1575–1600; < Spanish, equivalent to mach(o) “mallet” ( cf. mace 1) + -ete noun suffix ( see -et ( def. ))
Compare meaning
How does machete compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
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.
Vocabulary lists containing machete
A Long Walk to Water
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Life Is So Good
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Clap When You Land
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
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
Mr Amin said they had found crucial evidence in the suspect's house, including 10 phones, a laptop, machete, identity cards and personal female clothing.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2024
She talked about how Martí charged up a hill in Cuba, a machete in his hand, demanding freedom for his people.
From "The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora" by Pablo Cartaya
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
He said the business, based in Leighton Buzzard in Bedfordshire, had probably sold more than 100 machetes in 2023, but no longer stocked them.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2025
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 team also had to leave their kayaks at a base camp they set up when it became impossible to head further upstream, hiking through the jungle using machetes for five days.
From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2024
They lay their machetes down on the side of the road, out of the way.
From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
