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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

bury the hatchet en · VERB

Pronunciation

  • (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

The phrase is an allusion to the figurative or literal practice of putting away the tomahawk at the cessation of hostilities among or by Native Americans in the Eastern United States, specifically during the formation of the Iroquois Confederacy, and in Iroquois custom in general. Weapons were to be buried or otherwise cached in time of peace.

Meanings

  1. (idiomatic) To cease fighting or arguing; to reach an agreement, or at least a truce.
    • They need to calm down and bury the hatchet before someone gets hurt.
  2. (humorous, slang) To accidentally leave a surgical instrument inside the patient after an operation.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
buried the hatchet Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
buried the hatchet Tense=Past lexicographic
buries the hatchet Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
burying the hatchet Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic

Antonyms

take up the hatchet

Relateds

peace pipe

Translations (30)

cs skončit boj (to stop fighting or arguing) · ja 和睦する (to stop fighting or arguing) · ca enterrar la destral de guerra (to stop fighting or arguing) · es tengamos la fiesta en paz (set phrase; usu. admonitory) (to stop fighting or arguing) · sv gräva ner stridsyxan (to stop fighting or arguing) · de das Kriegsbeil begraben (to stop fighting or arguing) · cmn 和解 (to stop fighting or arguing) · it sotterrare l'ascia di guerra (to stop fighting or arguing) · ru зары́ть топо́р войны́ (to stop fighting or arguing) · es hacer las paces (to stop fighting or arguing) · pl zakopywać topór wojenny (to stop fighting or arguing) · cs zakopat válečnou sekeru (to stop fighting or arguing) · fr enterrer la hache de guerre (to stop fighting or arguing) · pl zakopać topór wojenny (to stop fighting or arguing) · ro îngropa securea războiului (to stop fighting or arguing) · nb begrave stridsøksen (to stop fighting or arguing) · it seppellire l'ascia di guerra (to stop fighting or arguing) · cmn 言歸於好 /言归于好 (to stop fighting or arguing) · cy claddu asgwrn y gynnen (to stop fighting or arguing) · nl de strijdbijl begraven (to stop fighting or arguing) · sv begrava stridsyxan (to stop fighting or arguing) · fi haudata sotakirves (to stop fighting or arguing) · cmn 化干戈為玉帛 (to stop fighting or arguing) · hu elássa a csatabárdot (to stop fighting or arguing) · pt fazer as pazes (to stop fighting or arguing) · cmn 重修舊好 /重修旧好 (to stop fighting or arguing) · ar دَفَنَ الأَحْقَادَ (to stop fighting or arguing) · es limar asperezas (to stop fighting or arguing) · ga an chloch a chaitheamh as an muinchille (to stop fighting or arguing) · is að grafa stríðsöxina (to stop fighting or arguing)