- a variation of ax.
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.
Ole Miss is far from the only institution with an axe to grind with Kiffin.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
While it cannot be conclusively proved that this axe belonged to Mallory, its direct family provenance and historical context make it one of the most significant objects linked to the climber.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
He noted its news, nations and content units would axe around 550 roles to deliver £160 million of savings by the end of this financial year.
From Barron's ● Jun. 17, 2026
Lawyers for CPL accuse some of the former workers who spoke to the BBC of having "an axe to grind" against the company.
From BBC ● May 27, 2026
Instead, its arms are like axe handles, and its legs are as thick as tree trunks.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
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.
