ax

¹ American  

[aks] / æks /

Or axe

noun

plural

axes

1. an instrument with a bladed head on a handle or helve, used for hewing, cleaving, chopping, etc.

2. Jazz Slang. any musical instrument.

3. Informal. the ax,

   1. dismissal from employment.

      to get the ax.

   2. expulsion from school.

   3. rejection by a lover, friend, etc..

      His girlfriend gave him the ax.

   4. any usually summary removal or curtailment.

---

verb (used with object)

axed, axing

1. to shape or trim with an ax.

2. to chop, split, destroy, break open, etc., with an ax.

   The firemen had to ax the door to reach the fire.

3. Informal. to dismiss, restrict, or destroy brutally, as if with an ax.

   The main office axed those in the field who didn't meet their quota. Congress axed the budget.

idioms

1. have an ax to grind, to have a personal or selfish motive.

   His interest may be sincere, but I suspect he has an ax to grind.

ax- ² American  

1. variant of axi-, especially before a vowel.

---

ax. ³ American  

abbreviation

1. axiom.

---

ax More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing ax

• get the ax

---

Other Word Forms

• axlike adjective

Etymology

Origin of ax

before 1000; Middle English; ax ( e ), ex ( e ), Old English æx, æces; akin to Gothic aquizi, Old Norse øx, ǫx, Old High German acc ( h ) us, a ( c ) kus ( German Axt ), Middle High German plural exa < Germanic *akwiz-, akuz-, aksi- ≪ *ákəs, áks-; Latin ascia (< *acsiā ), Greek axī́nē; < Indo-European *ag-s-

Example Sentences

In some cases, horizontal placement of circles on the date axes is approximated to accommodate others within the same range.

From The Wall Street Journal

He carried his pack and the extra weight of a heavy rope, a small ax, and their supply of torches with ease.

From Literature

In addition to clothing that protects against the wind and cold, anyone attempting to climb steep terrain covered in snow and ice should have mountaineering boots, heavy metal crampons and an ice ax.

From Los Angeles Times

When nothing happened, I opened them, just as Cully rested the ax back on his shoulder and showed off his four teeth in a wide grin.

From Literature

Hand axes were held in the palm rather than attached to a wooden handle.

From BBC