Meanings
verbtake up the hatchet (third-person singular simple present takes up the hatchet, present participle taking up the hatchet, simple past took up the hatchet, past participle taken up the hatchet)
present singular third person takes up the hatchet · participle present taking up the hatchet · past took up the hatchet · participle past taken up the hatchet
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo declare war or go to war.
Opposite
Origin
Referring to Native Americans' use of the tomahawk.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Finnish tarttua sotakirveeseeen
- tarttua sotakirveeseeento make or declare war
French déterrer la hache de guerre
- déterrer la hache de guerreto make or declare war
Hungarian kiássa a csatabárdot
- kiássa a csatabárdotto make or declare war
Polish wykopywać topór wojenny, wykopać topór wojenny
- wykopywać topór wojennyto make or declare war
- wykopać topór wojennyto make or declare war
Cite this entry
APA
take up the hatchet. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20up%20the%20hatchet
MLA
“take up the hatchet.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20up%20the%20hatchet. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “take up the hatchet,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20up%20the%20hatchet.
Source: take up the hatchet on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.