n. a light short-handled axe. hatchet-faced colloq. sharp-featured or grim-looking. hatchet job colloq. a fierce verbal attack on a person, esp. in print. hatchet man colloq. 1 a hired killer. 2 a person employed to carry out a hatchet job.
[ ME f. OF hachette dimin. of hache axe f. med.L hapia f. Gmc ]