- a variation of ax.
axe
Britishnoun
-
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
-
-
an ulterior motive
-
a grievance
-
a pet subject
-
-
informal
-
dismissal, esp from employment; the sack (esp in the phrase get the axe )
-
severe cutting down of expenditure, esp the removal of unprofitable sections of a public service
-
-
slang any musical instrument, esp a guitar or horn
verb
-
to chop or trim with an axe
-
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.
“There’s a lot of sameness out there when it comes to fragrance advertising, and I think that’s why Axe continues to be talked about.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 22, 2026
“We keep hearing about the Axe cloud, how it goes everywhere,” said Dolores Assalini, head of Axe US.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 22, 2026
Axe, who also has a podcast, is the co-founder of supplement brand Ancient Nutrition along with Jordan Rubin, who is also the founder of supplement brand Garden of Life.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 11, 2026
Mr Ward, 27, who is known for roles in shows and films including Top Boy, Small Axe and Blue Story, was at Thames Magistrates Court in London for a short preliminary hearing on Thursday.
From BBC • Aug. 28, 2025
According to Axe and Plouffe, who were buzzing in and out of the room, announcing what felt like every sliver of information they received, everything was unfolding as predicted.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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.
