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pickaxe

British  
/ ˈpɪkˌæks /

noun

  1. a large pick or mattock

"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

verb

  1. to use a pickaxe on (earth, rocks, etc)

"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

Etymology

Origin of pickaxe

C15: from earlier pikois (but influenced also by axe ), from Old French picois, from pic pick ²; compare also pique 1

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.

Mr Fooks was digging with a pickaxe by torchlight when he found the coins in a pottery bowl buried in a bare earth floor.

From BBC • Apr. 24, 2024

“I’m still hitting the wrong buttons here, I’m not used to the controls,” Shapiro said as he limply gestured his pickaxe toward a stone laden with glowing rubies.

From Slate • Mar. 24, 2023

To answer that, Povich's colleague Gordon Elliott ran to a local firehouse, procured a pickaxe and took a few theatrical digs at the great concrete symbol of communism.

From Salon • Sep. 25, 2022

You explore the world to find tools like a pickaxe or shovel that you use to gather materials for your crafting.

From The Verge • Apr. 28, 2022

And they don't look like people who would want to swing a pickaxe.

From "Counting by 7s" by Holly Goldberg Sloan