hatchet

noun

hatch·​et ˈha-chət How to pronounce hatchet (audio)
1
: a short-handled ax often with a hammerhead to be used with one hand
2
: tomahawk

Examples of hatchet in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Closest to the fence was a pig man with a rubber hand, who was gripping a hatchet with his flesh-and-blood hand. — Will MacKin, New Yorker, 28 June 2026 This is when the man went inside the home, grabbed a hatchet and used it to strike the bear multiple times, police said. — Brandon Downs, CBS News, 10 June 2026 Now in peacetime and with a new set of actors, the time had come to bury the hatchet and settle the issue between once and for all. — Literary Hub, 13 May 2026 Her memoir settles a few scores, generally with a stiletto rather than a hatchet. — Susan Page, USA Today, 29 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for hatchet

Word History

Etymology

Middle English hachet, from Anglo-French hachette, diminutive of hache battle-ax — more at hash

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hatchet was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing hatchet

Rhymes for hatchet

See All Rhymes for hatchet

Browse Nearby Words

hatcheryman
hatchet
hatchet cactus
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hatchet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hatchet. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

hatchet

noun
hatch·​et ˈhach-ət How to pronounce hatchet (audio)
: a small ax with a short handle
Etymology

Middle English hachet "small ax, hatchet," from early French hachette, literally, "small battle-ax," from hache "battle-ax"; of Germanic origin — related to hash entry 1, hatch entry 4

Medical Definition

hatchet

noun
hatch·​et ˈhach-ət How to pronounce hatchet (audio)
: a dental excavator

More from Merriam-Webster on hatchet

Nglish: Translation of hatchet for Spanish Speakers

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