cutlass

A short sword with a curved blade, and a convex edge; once used by sailors when boarding an enemy ship.

She could feel Tern’s stare fixed right between her shoulder blades, and knew he was aching to plunge his cutlass there.

In vain the captain threatened to throw him overboard; suspended a cutlass over his naked wrists; Queequeg was the son of a King, and Queequeg budged not.

A similarly shaped tool; a machete.

To cut back (vegetation) with a cutlass.