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machete

noun
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ma·​chete | \ mə-ˈshe-tē How to pronounce machete (audio) , -ˈche-; -ˈshet \

Definition of machete

: a large heavy knife used for cutting sugarcane and underbrush and as a weapon

Examples of machete in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The homeowner described hearing through the door the rhythmic thwacks of the machete. — Michelle Hunter | Staff Writer, NOLA.com, "'He looked like the devil': LaPlace resident's bloody encounter with machete murder suspect," 26 Oct. 2020 Mejia Santel refused the deputies’ commands to show his hands, grabbed a machete, and ran to a bathroom inside the apartment. — Bradford Betz, Fox News, "Machete-wielding Florida man dies in officer-involved shooting," 18 Oct. 2020 Duncan Coles lops the head off a juvenile coconut tree with a practiced swing of his machete. — Kenneth R. Weiss, Science | AAAS, "To save this palm-filled paradise, biologists must kill the trees," 27 Aug. 2020 The duo climbed a chain link fence and squeezed into the thorny chaparral that Wright and his oldest son, Daniel, once had hacked at with a machete to no avail. — Vincent T. Davis, ExpressNews.com, "Retired major helps uncover long-lost African American cemetery in San Antonio neighborhood," 19 Oct. 2020 One of her brothers was shot, a friend of the family was murdered, and another friend had his fingers chopped off with a machete after a local gang member mistook him for a member of a rival gang. — Antonio Olivo, Washington Post, "Virginia suburb once known for Corey Stewart gets a new provocateur: A Latina Republican," 17 Oct. 2020 In 2015, a Karen teenager who had arrived in New Bern less than two years earlier walked next door to where another refugee family from Myanmar lived and killed three children with a machete. — Hannah Beech, New York Times, "‘We Were Bulletproof’: As Child Soldiers Grow Up, Legacy of War Lingers," 12 Oct. 2020 No evidence corroborated Hung's account, the agent says, and officers who searched his truck found a loaded Glock handgun, a 15-round magazine, a machete, an 18-inch metal pipe, a megaphone and $3,200 in cash, according to the affidavit. — NBC News, "Man who drove into California protesters used vineyard as 'tactical training camp,' officials say," 24 Sep. 2020 The police records, filed in Broward County Circuit Court, also reveal for the first time the extent of weapons found in Dovi’s Jeep: an 18-inch machete, razors, two saws and 20 various knives. — Lisa J. Huriash, sun-sentinel.com, "Killer armed with machete likely ambushed homeless men at night, records show," 4 Aug. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'machete.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of machete

circa 1575, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for machete

Spanish

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Time Traveler for machete

Time Traveler

The first known use of machete was circa 1575

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Statistics for machete

Last Updated

28 Nov 2020

Cite this Entry

“Machete.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/machete. Accessed 29 Nov. 2020.

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More Definitions for machete

machete

noun
How to pronounce machete (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of machete

: a large, heavy knife that is used for cutting plants and as a weapon

See the full definition for machete in the English Language Learners Dictionary

machete

noun
ma·​chete | \ mə-ˈshe-tē How to pronounce machete (audio) \

Kids Definition of machete

: a large heavy knife used for cutting sugarcane and underbrush and as a weapon

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More from Merriam-Webster on machete

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for machete

Nglish: Translation of machete for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of machete for Arabic Speakers

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