definitions
  • synonyms

battle-ax

or bat·tle-axe

[ bat-l-aks ]
/ ˈbæt lˌæks /
|

noun

a broadax formerly used as a weapon of war.
Slang. a domineering, aggressive, sharp-tempered person, especially a woman.

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Nearby words

battle plan, battle royal, battle star, battle station, battle wagon, battle-ax, battle-ax culture, battle-axe, battle-axe block, battle-scarred, battleax

Origin of battle-ax

1350–1400; Middle English batelax
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for battle-axe

British Dictionary definitions for battle-axe

battle-axe

noun

(formerly) a large broad-headed axe
informal an argumentative domineering woman
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for battle-axe

battle-axe

n.

late 14c., weapon of war, from battle (n.) + axe (n.); meaning "formidable woman" is U.S. slang, first recorded 1896.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper