hatchet

Everyday

1. A small axe with a short handle, used with one hand to chop wood. tree →
2. (idiom) «Bury the hatchet» means to stop arguing and make peace. tree →
3. (idiom) «A hatchet job» means harsh, unfair criticism that tries to damage someone. tree →

In the lessons

In camping, survival stories (like «Hatchet» by Gary Paulsen) and history lessons a hatchet is a tool for chopping firewood and building shelters. Safety: hatchets are sharp tools only for adults or with close adult supervision. In everyday talk, friends «bury the hatchet» after a fight. Phrases: bury the hatchet, hatchet job, hatchet-faced.

Examples

• Dad used a hatchet to chop kindling for the campfire. tree →
• In «Hatchet», a boy survives in the Canadian wilderness. tree →
• After a week of arguing, the twins finally buried the hatchet. tree →
• The newspaper did a hatchet job on the new mayor. tree →
• Always carry a hatchet with its blade covered. tree →
• The scouts learned how to use a hatchet safely. tree →
• I chopped the tree down with my hatchet." tree →

Note

Plural: hatchets. Spelling: hat-chet. A hatchet is smaller than an axe and used with one hand. Not related to «hatch» (an egg hatching), although they look alike.

In Jewish tradition

A small axe used to smash carved work in the Temple.

Interpretation. Tradition remembers the destruction of the Temple with sorrow, and Psalm 74 is read as a lament for it.

Examples

• And now all the carved work thereof together they strike down with hatchet and hammers. (Writings PSA.74.6, JPS 1917) tree →

Note

Plural: hatchets. Spelling: hat-chet. A hatchet is smaller than an axe and used with one hand. Not related to «hatch» (an egg hatching), although they look alike.