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poleax

or pole·axe

[ pohl-aks ]
/ ˈpoʊlˌæks /
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noun, plural pole·ax·es [pohl-ak-siz]. /ˈpoʊlˌæk sɪz/.
a medieval shafted weapon with blade combining ax, hammer, and apical spike, used for fighting on foot.
an ax, usually with a hammer opposite the cutting edge, used in stunning and slaughtering animals.
an ax with both a blade and a hook, formerly used in naval warfare to assist sailors in boarding vessels.
verb (used with object), pole·axed, pole·ax·ing.
to strike down or kill with or as if with a poleax.
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Origin of poleax

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English pollax “battle-ax,” literally, “head-ax” (see poll1, ax); akin to Middle Low German polexe

Words nearby poleax

polar vortex, polar wander, Polatsk, polder, pole, poleax, poleaxe, pole bean, polecat, pole compass, Pol. Econ.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use poleax in a sentence

  • He saw the ancient weapons on the wall—there was a great poleax.

    The Ghost Breaker|Charles Goddard

  • He considered a grate-bar from a heating furnace, and then he found the poleax, lying among a pile of wormeaten boards.

    Police Operation|H. Beam Piper
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