ax

/æks/

/æks/

Other forms: axes

An ax is a sharp tool for cutting wood. When you split logs, you hold the handle, swing the ax into the air, and let the blade fall on the wood.

Most axes have a long wooden handle connected to a blade made of sharpened steel. An ax is a useful tool to own if you have a wood stove or are building a campfire. You can also spell the word with an e at the end: axe. As a verb, to ax means to fire someone from a job: "He was late so many times that I finally had to ax him."

Definitions of ax

1. noun

   an edge tool with a heavy bladed head mounted across a handle
   synonyms: axe

   types:

   broadax, broadaxe

   a large ax with a broad cutting blade

   Dayton ax, Dayton axe, common ax, common axe

   an ax with a long handle and a head that has one cutting edge and one blunt side

   Western ax, Western axe, double-bitted ax, double-bitted axe

   an ax that has cutting edges on both sides of the head

   fireman's ax, fireman's axe

   an ax that has a long handle and a head with one cutting edge and a point on the other side

   hatchet

   a small ax with a short handle used with one hand (usually to chop wood)

   ice ax, ice axe, piolet

   an ax used by mountain climbers for cutting footholds in ice

   poleax, poleaxe

   an ax used to slaughter cattle; has a hammer opposite the blade

   battle-ax, battle-axe

   a broadax used as a weapon

   broad hatchet

   a short-handled hatchet with a broad blade opposite a hammerhead

   claw hatchet

   a hatchet that has a cleft for pulling nails

   half hatchet

   a hatchet with a broad blade on one end and a hammer head of the other

   type of:

   edge tool

   any cutting tool with a sharp cutting edge (as a chisel or knife or plane or gouge)
2. verb

   chop or split with an ax
   synonyms: axe

   type of:

   chop, hack

   cut with a hacking tool
3. verb

   terminate
   “The NSF axed the research program and stopped funding it”

   synonyms: axe

   type of:

   end, terminate

   bring to an end or halt