hand ax

[ hand aks ]

noun

1. 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.
2. broad hatchet.

hand ax

/ hănd′ăks′ /

1. 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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of hand ax¹

before 1000; Middle English, Old English

Example Sentences

Other significant fossils found this time have been Neanderthal hand axes, ancient bison bones and a prehistoric shark fin.

From BBC

When scientists excavated a 1.4-million-year-old site in northern Israel in the 1960s, they were stumped by the presence of nearly 600 plum-size stone balls alongside more usual stone tools such as hand axes.

From Science Magazine

"These hand axes are so big it's difficult to imagine how they could have been easily held and used."

From BBC

Working with hand axes to fashion hundreds of tons of oak beams for the framework of Notre Dame’s new roof has, for them, been like rewinding time.

From Seattle Times

Sigurd had no sword to draw, but he did have a pair of hand axes on either side of his belt.

From Literature