What does hatchet mean?
A hatchet is a small, short-handled axe used for chopping wood, splitting kindling, and similar tasks. Its name distinguishes a compact, easily wielded implement from a larger axe, although the terms overlap in some contexts. Figuratively, a hatchet represents blunt force, and the verb hatchet means to cut, reduce, or abolish something sharply and without much concern for disruption, often in the language of budgets and employment. The expression “hatchet job” refers to a severe retrenchment, while “bury the hatchet” uses the weapon to evoke a formal end to conflict. The word is common in British and American English and appears in both practical instructions and political or workplace discussion. It is also a vivid example of how an everyday tool can acquire political force: “hatchet” suggests a decision delivered with a blade rather than gradual negotiation, while the peace idiom reverses that image by making the weapon disappear underground.
A small axe or tomahawk with a short handle, used for chopping, splitting, and carving.
"He sharpened the hatchet before splitting the logs."
Compared with axe, hatchet usually emphasizes a smaller tool with a shorter handle.
To chop or cut with a hatchet; figuratively, to make abrupt and severe reductions in or abolish something.
"The board voted to hatchet the program instead of allowing it to continue."
The figurative use is especially associated with budgets, staffing, and government or institutional programs.
The standard plural is formed by adding -s.
"The workers carried hatchets and saws into the forest."
A small blade can carry a big message: “hatchet” shifts from chopping wood to making abrupt political cuts, while “bury the hatchet” turns the same weapon into a symbol of peace.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does hatchet come from?
The word entered English in the Middle English period from Old French hachete, a diminutive of hache, meaning “axe.” The French word ultimately derives through Vulgar Latin from a Germanic root meaning “hook,” an ancestor of forms connected with chopping implements. Its relatives include French hache and hachette, Spanish hacha, and German Hacke.
Related word forms
How hatchet is actually used
The literal noun is common in British and American English. The figurative verb is relatively informal and often implies abrupt, severe cuts rather than gradual adjustment.