Definition

1. Noun:

   • A fighting ax used as a weapon: A tomahawk is a type of lightweight ax historically used as a tool and weapon by various Indigenous peoples of North America. It traditionally features a stone or metal head and a wooden handle.
   • A symbolic or ceremonial object: In modern contexts, it can also refer to a similar object used in ceremonies or as a cultural symbol.

2. Verb:

   • To strike or kill with a tomahawk: This means to use this specific type of ax as a weapon to hit or cause death.
   • To cut with a tomahawk: This refers to the action of using the tool to chop or cut something.

Examples

• Noun: The museum displayed an authentic tomahawk from the 18th century. The peace treaty was symbolized by burying a tomahawk.

• Verb: In the historical account, the warrior tomahawked his enemy. (This usage is rare and typically found in historical or literary contexts.) He tomahawked the branch to clear the path.

Advanced Usage

• "To bury the tomahawk": This is an idiom meaning to make peace, to end a conflict or argument.

Variants and Related Words

• Tomahawked (verb, past tense): The action of having used a tomahawk. The log was tomahawked into smaller pieces.

• Tomahawking (verb, present participle/gerund): The ongoing action of using a tomahawk.

Synonyms

• Hatchet (noun): A small ax with a short handle, used for chopping. (Note: "hatchet" is a general tool, while "tomahawk" carries specific cultural and historical connotations.)
• Ax (noun): A tool with a bladed head on a handle, used for chopping.

Related Phrases

• Tomahawk chop: A sports gesture involving a chopping motion with the arm, associated with some American sports teams (note: this usage is controversial and considered culturally insensitive by many).
• Tomahawk missile: A modern long-range, subsonic cruise missile. (This is a compound noun where "tomahawk" is used metaphorically for its striking capability, not a variant of the ax itself.)

Idioms

• "To dig up the tomahawk": The opposite of "to bury the tomahawk"; to resume hostilities or start a conflict again.

Noun

1. weapon consisting of a fighting ax; used by North American Indians

Verb

1. kill with a tomahawk
2. cut with a tomahawk