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
Close to where we found our horses we found a tree with the bark cut off one side of it with an AXE which was sharp.
From Explorations in Australia, Illustrated, by Forrest, John
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.
