hatchet Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun weapon consisting of a fighting ax; used by North American Indians
    tomahawk.
  2. noun a small ax with a short handle used with one hand (usually to chop wood)

WordNet

Hatch"et noun
Etymology
F. hachette, dim. of hache . See 1st Hatch, Hash.
Definitions
  1. A small ax with a short handle, to be used with one hand.
  2. Specifically, a tomahawk.
    Buried was the bloody hatchet. Longfellow.

Webster 1913