ice ax

American  

noun

1. a mountaineering tool combining an adzlike blade and a pick on the head of a long wooden handle, with a spike on the end, used for cutting into ice and for support on icy surfaces.

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Etymology

Origin of ice ax

First recorded in 1810–20

Example Sentences

There were no signs of a helmet or an ice ax, a lethal-looking tool winter mountaineers use to plant themselves in the snow and to stop themselves if they start to fall.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 10, 2023

She put on microspikes and took out her ice ax to navigate the icy route.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 17, 2022

In winter, you can sign up for a ski mountaineering clinic, wielding your ice ax and fixing rope to climb up the terrain, then skiing down in an exhilarating rush of “job well done.”

From Washington Post • Nov. 27, 2019

He hacked one ice ax ahead, then stabbed his cramponed feet upward, moving inches at a time.

From The Guardian • May 16, 2019

At 24,000 feet, I could manage only seven or eight blows of my ice ax before having to pause for more than a minute to catch my breath.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer