hatchet

/ˈhætʃɪt/ (bre, ipa) · [hˈætʃət] /ˈhætʃɪt/ (ame, ipa) · [hˈætʃət] /ˈha-chət How to pronounce hatchet (audio)/ (ame, mw)

hatchet — noun

  • hatchetsingular
  • hatchetsplural

1. a compact axe designed for one-handed chopping of wood, roots, or branches.

1.名詞B1
釋義

a compact axe designed for one-handed chopping of wood, roots, or branches.

例句

Tuan used a hatchet to split dry wood for the campfire.

use a hatchet to split wood

The gardener kept a hatchet in the shed for cutting thick roots.

同義詞
  • axe

    the broader everyday word and often a larger tool than a hatchet

  • hand axe

    very close in meaning, but often sounds more technical or historical

文法句型

a/the hatchet

use a hatchet to + verb

hatchet + for + verb-ing

用法筆記

Usually refers to a smaller axe that you can control with one hand. It is common in contexts such as camping, chopping wood, and cutting roots or branches.

常見錯誤

❌Padma packed an axe for chopping small branches at camp.
✅Padma packed a hatchet for chopping small branches at camp.
💡a hatchet is the smaller, one-handed tool.
❌The chef used a hatchet to slice onions.
✅The chef used a kitchen knife to slice onions.
💡a hatchet is for rough chopping, not normal kitchen cutting.

2. a light axe with a short handle that is carried or used as a weapon, especially

2.名詞B2
釋義

a light axe with a short handle that is carried or used as a weapon, especially in historical descriptions.

例句

The guide pointed to a hatchet hanging beside the bow in the display case.

hatchet shown as a weapon in a museum display

In the film, the warrior raised a hatchet before charging across the field.

同義詞
  • tomahawk

    the more specific word for the Indigenous North American weapon

  • battle axe

    usually suggests a larger and heavier weapon than a hatchet

文法句型

a/the hatchet

carry a hatchet

raise a hatchet

用法筆記

Often appears in museum, history, or film contexts rather than in everyday speech. Tomahawk is common when the speaker means the specific Indigenous North American weapon.

常見錯誤

❌The museum showed a big battle axe from the tribe.
✅The museum showed a hatchet from the tribe.
💡hatchet emphasizes the smaller, short-handled weapon.
❌She bought a hatchet for cutting vegetables in the kitchen.
✅She bought a cleaver for cutting vegetables in the kitchen.
💡in this sense, hatchet means a weapon, not a kitchen tool.