Meaning & use
hatchet
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A small axe with a short handle, used with one hand.
Grammar: Countable: a hatchet, two hatchets.
Patterns
- use a hatchet
- a hatchet handle
He used a hatchet to split the kindling.
The campers packed a hatchet for cutting branches.
nouncountablefigurative
A bitter conflict or quarrel, especially one that is ended.
Grammar: Usually in the phrase 'bury the hatchet'.
Patterns
- bury the hatchet
After years of feuding, the two families finally buried the hatchet.
The politicians decided to bury the hatchet and work together.
Word forms
| plural | hatchets |
|---|
Common combinations
- bury the hatchet
- They agreed to bury the hatchet and move on.
- a hatchet job
- The article was a hatchet job on the mayor.
- hatchet man
- The CEO sent his hatchet man to lay off staff.
Synonyms and how they differ
- axe
- An axe is larger and usually used with two hands; a hatchet is smaller and used with one hand.
- cleaver
- A cleaver is a heavy knife for chopping meat, not wood; a hatchet is a tool for chopping wood.
Word family
- hatchet man noun
- A person who carries out unpleasant tasks, often firing people or attacking opponents.
Commonly confused: hatchet or hacksaw?
hatchet vs hacksaw
A hacksaw is a saw for cutting metal, while a hatchet is a small axe for chopping wood.
Practice
What does 'bury the hatchet' mean?
Choose one answer.
The idiom 'bury the hatchet' means to end a conflict and make peace. The other options are literal and do not match the figurative meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “hatchet”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.