A
hatchet (from the
Old French hachete, a diminutive form of
hache, '
axe' of Germanic origin) is a single-handed striking tool with a sharp blade on one side used to cut and split wood, and a hammer head on the other side. Hatchets may also be used for
hewing when making flattened surfaces on logs; when the hatchet head is optimized for this purpose it is called a
broadaxe.