axe
Britishnoun
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a hand tool with one side of its head forged and sharpened to a cutting edge, used for felling trees, splitting timber, etc See also hatchet
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an ulterior motive
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a grievance
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a pet subject
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informal
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dismissal, esp from employment; the sack (esp in the phrase get the axe )
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severe cutting down of expenditure, esp the removal of unprofitable sections of a public service
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slang any musical instrument, esp a guitar or horn
verb
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to chop or trim with an axe
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informal to dismiss (employees), restrict (expenditure or services), or terminate (a project)
Etymology
Origin of axe
Old English æx; related to Old Frisian axa, Old High German acchus, Old Norse öx, Latin ascia, Greek axinē
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Legend, who worked as a mentor with the AXE Collective at the South by Southwest music festival last year, is partnering with the company for its new campaign, “Find Your Magic.”
From Washington Times • Jan. 19, 2016
Carlos always likes to recommend AXE — he believes in the company’s products — and this time, he gasped slightly when he noticed the apparently rare AXE White Label antiperspirant on a high shelf.
From New York Times • Jul. 16, 2015
AXE TO GRIND: Wisconsin said it was instituting a new policy for the postgame axe celebration to try to avoid a confrontation similar to the one last year at Minnesota.
From Washington Times • Nov. 28, 2014
AXE, the men’s fragrance and grooming brand, is known for broad humor in its advertising, but a commercial that will air during the Super Bowl strikes a decidedly somber note.
From New York Times • Jan. 15, 2014
The tone was simply different from the ones generated by other exchange types, such as AXE and step-by-step exchanges.
From Underground by Dreyfus, Suelette
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
