also: ちょうな
noun
hatchet; small axe
Only with reading ておの
A small, one-handed axe used for chopping wood or light carpentry. The reading ておの is standard for this meaning.
キャンプで手斧を使って薪を割った。
I split firewood with a hatchet at the camp.
noun
adze; adz
Only with reading ちょうな
A woodworking tool with a curved blade set at a right angle to the handle, used for shaping wood. The reading ちょうな is standard for this meaning.
The carpenter is shaping the surface of the beam with an adze.
Mixed kanji-kana spelling that clarifies the reading ておの.
Rare kanji for the adze sense; 手斧 is more common.
手斧 is a compound of 手 (hand) and 斧 (axe), literally 'hand axe'. The reading ちょうな is of uncertain origin, possibly a sound shift from an older term.