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Added 10 October 2026

machete

/məˈʃɛ.ti/ noun

Latin root: mattea Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about machete at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A large heavy knife used in Central and South America as a weapon or for cutting vegetation.

Origin

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.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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