machete (machata)

[Sp., a chopping knife, a cutlas.] 1. A heavy knife or cutlas used among Spanish colonists and in Spanish-American countries, both as a tool and as a weapon. He... cut his way through a tangled forest by the use of the Cuban machette. Sci. Amer., N. S., LVI. 391. 2. A fish of the family Con grog a didæ, the Congrogadus (or Machœrium ) subducens. Formerly also matchet , matchette. Machetes (ma-kētēz), n. [NL., μάχεσθαι , fight.] A genus of Scolo pacida , named by Cuvier in 1817. M. pugnax is the ruff, which in the breeding season has the face papillose and the neck be frilled with an enormous rufte of feathers. The female is known as the reeve . An older name of the genus is Pav on cell a ( Leach , 1816); the oldest is Philomachus ( Moehring , 1752). See ruff . Machiavellian (maki-a-vel'i-an), a. and n. [Also Machiavelian , Mac chi avel i an , Macchiavel lian ; Machiavel , Machi a vell i (see def.), + -ian .] I. a . Of or pertaining to Niccolo Machi a vell i (also called in English Machiavel) (1469-1527), an illustrious Italian patriot and writer, secretary of state and many times amba ador of the republic of Florence; conforming to the principles imputed to Machi a vell i (see II.); hence, destitute of political morality; cunning in political management; habitually using duplicity and bad faith; astutely crafty. II. n. One who adopts the principles expounded by Machi a vell i in his work entitled "The Prince," a treatise on government in which political morality is disregarded and tyrannical methods of rule are inculcated. Machiavellian ism (maki-a-vel'i-an-izm), n. The principles or system of statesmanship of Machi a vell i; the political doctrines attributed to Machi a vell i-namely, the pursuit of succe at any price, and the systematic subordination of right to expediency (see Machiavellian, n.); the theory that all means may be justifiably employed, however unlawful and treacherous in themselves, for the establishment and maintenance of the authority of the ruler over his subjects; political cunning and unscrupulous artifice. Machiavellic (mak"i-a-vel'ik), a. [ Machi a vell ism (maki-a-vel'izm), n. IMG:content-0023.png:[blocks in formation] Machiavellizet. [Erroneously Machevalize (Minsheu); = F. Machiavelizer (Cotgrave); as Machiavel (It. Machi a vell i ) + -ize.] To practise Machiavellian ism. Cotgrave. machicolate (ma-chiko-lāt), v. t.; pret. and pp. machicolated, ppr. machicolating. [ of the wall, G, spaces the corbels are left open, and constitute the machicolations. (See cut on following page.) Machicolations of permanent construction in stone were not introduced until toward the end of the twelfth century; but in the hoarding of wood with which walls and towers were crowned in time of need from the carliest period of the middle ages, their use was constant. 2. The act of hurling mi iles or of pouring burning liquids upon an enemy through apertures such as those described above.-3. By extension, a machicolated parapet or gallery, or a projection supported on corbels, in imita IMG:content-0024.jpg:[blocks in formation] Machicolations.- Castle of Coucy, France; 13th century. tion of medieval machicolated construction, without openings.