axe

Meaning

Noun

1. A tool for felling trees or chopping wood etc. consisting of a heavy head flattened to a blade on one side, and a handle attached to it.
2. An ancient weapon consisting of a head that has one or two blades and a long handle.
3. (informal) A dismissal or rejection.
4. (figuratively) A drastic reduction or cutback.
5. (slang) A gigging musician's particular instrument, especially a guitar in rock music or a saxophone in jazz.
6. A position, interest, or reason in buying and selling stock, often with ulterior motives.

Verb

1. (transitive) To fell or chop with an axe.
2. (figuratively, transitive) To lay off, terminate or drastically reduce, especially in a rough or ruthless manner; to cancel.

Verb

To furnish with an axle.

Verb

Alternative form of ask.

Synonyms

ax

hatchet

tomahawk

sack

dismiss

stone axe

poleax

adze

ax

broadax

abolish

discharge

chopper

fire

🔥

detract

discontinue

disestablish

do away with

dock

downsize

expel

expense

get rid of

head

hoe

hold down

knife

🔪

lay off

limit

little

poleaxe

prune

rationalise

rationalize

reduce

return

rod

saw

🪚

scepter

scrap

small

spade

staff

steel

subtract

take back

taper

throttle

tool

tractor

🚜

Translations

hache

🪓

hacha

🪓

ascia

🪓

Axt

🪓

bijl

🪓

machado

🪓

Beil

🪓

scure

🪓

destral

🪓

balta

🪓

τσεκούρι

securis

accetta

Pronounced as (IPA)

/æks/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: ax

Inherited from Old English: æx

Cognate with German: Axt

Cognate with Dutch: aks

Cognate with Danish: økse

Cognate with Icelandic: öxi

Cognate with Latin: ascia

In summary

From Middle English ax, axe, ex, from Old English æx, from Proto-West Germanic *akusi, from Proto-Germanic *akwisī, probably from a Proto-Indo-European *h₂egʷsih₂ (“axe”), from *h₂eḱ- (“sharp, pointed”). Compare German Axt, Dutch aks, Danish økse, Icelandic öxi, and also Latin ascia.