hand ax
Also hand axe . a usually large, general-purpose bifacial Paleolithic stone tool, often oval or pear-shaped in form and characteristic of certain Lower Paleolithic industries.
Origin of hand ax
1Words Nearby hand ax
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use hand ax in a sentence
Compound in bulk or in thin iron barrels can be cut into small pieces with a hatchet or hand ax.
The Automobile Storage Battery | O. A. WitteThey were the thieves, who had fallen upon me with the hand ax.
The Social Significance of the Modern Drama | Emma GoldmanJest as I raised my hand-ax I happened to cast my eyes down the hill.
Dutch Courage and Other Stories | Jack London
Scientific definitions for hand ax
A cutting or chopping tool, especially of the Lower Paleolithic Period, typically consisting of a piece of flint or other coarse stone that has been flaked on both sides to produce a sharp edge running all around the perimeter. Hand axes are core tools (produced from a found stone rather than from a processed flake) and have been found in several basic, often pointed shapes, including oval, triangular, and cordate (heart-shaped). The most common Paleolithic tool, they are especially associated with the Acheulian and some Mousterian tool cultures.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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