ax

3 entries found for ax.
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ax[1,noun] ax[2,transitive verb] battle-ax

Main Entry: ¹ax
Variant(s): or axe /'aks/
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English æcs; akin to Old High German ackus ax, Latin ascia, Greek axinE
1 : a cutting tool that consists of a heavy edged head fixed to a handle with the edge parallel to the handle and that is used especially for felling trees and chopping and splitting wood
2 : a hammer with a sharp edge for dressing or spalling stone
3 : abrupt removal (as from employment or from a budget) -- sometimes used in the phrase get the ax
4 : a musical instrument (as a guitar or a saxophone)
- ax to grind : an ulterior often selfish underlying purpose <claims that he has no ax to grind in criticizing the proposed law>