noun · verb · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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/məˈʃɛ.ti/
/məˈt͡ʃɛ.ti/
/məˈt͡ʃɛ.teɪ/
Northern-California:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ɛti
CMU ARPABET:M AH0 SH EH1 T IY2
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 2:M AH0 CH EH1 T IY2
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A sword-like tool used for cutting large plants with a chopping motion, or used as a weapon.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
Near-synonyms: (all sometimes or regionally synonymous) bolo, golok, panga, parang, sundang
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: bolo, golok, panga, parang, sundang
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: knife
2
noun
Meaning 2
A small stringed instrument from Madeira, Portugal, having a double bulged body, traditionally of wood, with a small rib and four metallic strings, sometimes attached by wooden pegs.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
To cut or chop with a machete.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
After some hours of intense work, we had macheted a path through the jungle to the bank of the river.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
a large heavy knife used in Central and South America as a weapon or for cutting vegetation
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: matchet, panga
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: knife
History
Etymology
From Spanish machete, diminutive of macho (“sledgehammer”), from Latin mattea, possibly from mactare (“slaughter in sacrifice”); cognate with Old French machier, French massue, English mace.
Across languages
Translations
67 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Albanian:
thikare
— a sword-like tool
Arabic:
مِحَشّ
(miḥašš)
— a sword-like tool
Armenian:
մաչետե
(mačʻete)
— a sword-like tool
Bulgarian:
маче́тe
(mačéte)
— a sword-like tool
Catalan:
matxet
— a sword-like tool
Chamicuro:
sapla
— a sword-like tool
Chinese Cantonese:
關刀 /关刀
(gwaan1 dou1)
— a sword-like tool
Chinese Cantonese:
大柄刀
(daai6 beng3 dou1)
— a sword-like tool
Chinese Mandarin:
大砍刀
(dàkǎndāo)
— a sword-like tool
Chinese Mandarin:
彎刀 /弯刀
(wāndāo)
— a sword-like tool
Chinese Mandarin:
寬刃刀 /宽刃刀
(kuānrèndāo)
— a sword-like tool
Ngazidja Comorian:
putshari
— a sword-like tool
Czech:
mačeta
— a sword-like tool
Dutch:
kapmes
— a sword-like tool
Esperanto:
maĉeto
— a sword-like tool
Finnish:
viidakkoveitsi
— a sword-like tool
French:
machette
— a sword-like tool
French:
coupe-coupe
— a sword-like tool
Galician:
machete
— a sword-like tool
Galician:
talladeira
— a sword-like tool
Georgian:
მაჩეტე
(mačeṭe)
— a sword-like tool
German:
Machete
— a sword-like tool
Greek:
μαχαίρα
(machaíra)
— a sword-like tool
Greek:
ματσέτα
(matséta)
— a sword-like tool
Haitian Creole:
manchèt
— a sword-like tool
Hebrew:
מצ׳טה
(machéta)
— a sword-like tool
Hungarian:
machete
— a sword-like tool
Hungarian:
bozótvágó kés
— a sword-like tool
Hungarian:
macséta
— a sword-like tool
Icelandic:
sveðja
— a sword-like tool
Italian:
machete
— a sword-like tool
Japanese:
マチェテ
(machete)
— a sword-like tool
Japanese:
鉈
(nata)
— a sword-like tool
Khmer:
លៀម
(liəm)
— a sword-like tool
K'iche':
machet, muru, ch'ich'
— a sword-like tool
