Main Entry: ¹ax

Variant(s): or axe \ˈaks\

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle English, from Old English æcs; akin to Old High German ackus ax, Latin ascia, Greek axinē

Date: before 12th century

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>