This page is about a sharp instrument, see Hatchet (novel) for the novel.

A hatchet is a short-handled, single-bitted axe designed for use by one hand. It is typically used for cutting through the grain of wood or removing branches from a piece of wood.

The term can also be applied to the tomahawk, a Native American axe used for both melée combat and woodworking that resembles a European hatchet.