machete
Americannoun
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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
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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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.
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
A three-month amnesty from September means anyone with a machete can place them in specially designated boxes at police stations.
From BBC • May 26, 2025
Ogou Je Wouj is a manifestation of the god of war and is believed to wield a machete.
From Seattle Times • May 9, 2024
Searcher goes from proclaiming, “I’m not my father,” and shaming Jaeger for giving him a machete on his second birthday to bonding with his dad.
From New York Times • Jan. 12, 2024
She took the vegetables she raised, flint and tinder, a machete.
From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead
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.
