tomahawk
Americannoun
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a light ax used by the North American Indians as a weapon and tool.
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any of various similar weapons or implements.
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(in Australia) a stone hatchet used by Aboriginal peoples.
verb (used with object)
noun
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a fighting axe, with a stone or later an iron head, used by the North American Indians
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the usual word for hatchet
Other Word Forms
- tomahawker noun
Etymology
Origin of tomahawk
First recorded in 1605–15; from Virginia Algonquian ( English spelling) tamahaac “hatchet,” equivalent to Proto-Algonquian temah- “to cut (it) off” (unattested ) + -a·kan- “instrument for” (unattested)
Explanation
A tomahawk is an axe-like tool that was invented by the Algonquian people of North America. Originally made of stone or antler, newer tomahawks have metal heads and wooden handles. After Algonquins developed the tomahawk using sharpened rock, wood, and rawhide to bind the two together, other indigenous groups also adopted the tool. Once Europeans arrived on the continent, steel and iron were used to make tomahawk heads. There were many uses for tomahawks, including as a weapon in hand-to-hand fighting. The word comes from the Virginia Algonquin tamahaac, "what is used in cutting," and tamaham, "he cuts."
Vocabulary lists containing tomahawk
Native American History - Introductory
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Native American History - Middle School and High School
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Kwame Crashes the Underworld
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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.
Hundreds of pounds of caviar, black truffle, sushi and tomahawk steak have been shipped to Hollywood for the traditional lavish Oscars after-party this Sunday.
From Barron's • Mar. 11, 2026
Scott Baird, of the storied Starlite bar atop the Beacon Grand Hotel in San Francisco, suggests you think of premium cocktails as “the tomahawk rib-eye of the cocktail world.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 12, 2026
For eight breathtaking seasons, LeBron James has poured his soul into pleasing a passionate fan base such that he still fills Crypto.com Arena with joy and light and tomahawk dunks at age 41.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 17, 2026
The Woodwin Pro makes smoking an impressive 100% full-blood waygu tomahawk from Caroland Farms a breeze, and handles a whole spatchcocked turkey just as easily.
From Salon • Nov. 20, 2025
He held a tomahawk in one hand and a hand of tobacco in the other.
From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith
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.
