ax

¹

Or axe

[aks]

noun

plural

axes 

1. an instrument with a bladed head on a handle or helve, used for hewing, cleaving, chopping, etc.

2. Jazz Slang.,  any musical instrument.

3. Informal.,  the ax,

   1. dismissal from employment.

      to get the ax.

   2. expulsion from school.

   3. rejection by a lover, friend, etc..

      His girlfriend gave him the ax.

   4. any usually summary removal or curtailment.

verb (used with object)

axed, axing 

1. to shape or trim with an ax.

2. to chop, split, destroy, break open, etc., with an ax.

   The firemen had to ax the door to reach the fire.

3. Informal.,  to dismiss, restrict, or destroy brutally, as if with an ax.

   The main office axed those in the field who didn't meet their quota. Congress axed the budget.

ax-

²

1. variant of axi-, especially before a vowel.

ax.

³

abbreviation

1. axiom.

Other Word Forms

• axlike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of ax¹

before 1000; Middle English; ax ( e ), ex ( e ), Old English æx, æces; akin to Gothic aquizi, Old Norse øx, ǫx, Old High German acc ( h ) us, a ( c ) kus ( German Axt ), Middle High German plural exa < Germanic *akwiz-, akuz-, aksi- ≪ *ákəs, áks-; Latin ascia (< *acsiā ), Greek axī́nē; < Indo-European *ag-s-

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. have an ax to grind, to have a personal or selfish motive.

   His interest may be sincere, but I suspect he has an ax to grind.

More idioms and phrases containing ax

• get the ax

Example Sentences

It’s only a matter of time before somebody grabs the ax to use on someone else before their own blood has dried from its blade.

From Salon

Chopping wood outside his character’s rustic cabin in the middle of nowhere, he drives the ax down again and again, ferociously focused on the task at hand.

From Los Angeles Times

But Neil and the chrome hearts would also swap their axes for acoustic guitars.

From Salon

Four films in, there are now as many “Naked Gun” features as there were live-aired episodes of “Police Squad!” before the network gave it the ax.

From Los Angeles Times

Speaking to the “Weekly Show” podcast, Stewart said he had not gotten any word about his series getting the ax.

From Los Angeles Times