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
In his field, just a stone's throw from his house, Kone still works only with a machete and wears open-toed shoes.
From Barron's ● Jan. 26, 2026
The act of opening a durian, which requires a very sharp knife or machete, feels festive and brings friends together the way that sharing a bottle of fine wine does in other cultures.
From New York Times ● Jun. 16, 2024
She took the vegetables she raised, flint and tinder, a machete.
From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead
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
In March, Victoria announced legislative changes to its Control of Weapons Act, making it illegal to sell or possess machetes, with the new law to start in September.
From BBC ● May 26, 2025
"It took the United Kingdom 18 months to bring about a ban on machetes and we are moving to do it within six months," she added.
From BBC ● May 26, 2025
Cooper's focus on the rule of law comes on the day a ban on owning zombie-style knives and machetes comes into force.
From BBC ● Sep. 24, 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
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.
