ax

¹ax

noun \ˈaks\

Definition of AX

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>

Variants of AX

ax or axe \ˈaks\

Examples of AX

1. <the company was hemorrhaging money, so 700 employees would soon be given the ax>

Origin of AX

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

First Known Use: before 12th century

Related to AX

Synonyms

layoff (or axe), discharge, dismissal, furlough, redundancy [chiefly British]

Related Words

pink slip; bird [chiefly British], boot, bum's rush, downsizing, firing, heave-ho, sack; closing, shutdown; shakeout, shake-up

Near Antonyms

callback, recall, reemployment, rehire, rehiring

Other Hardware Terms

adze, auger, awl, chock, ferrule, punch, tang

Rhymes with AX

fax, flax, lax, max, pax, rax, sax, Sfax, tax, wax

²ax

transitive verb

axedax·ing

Definition of AX

1

a : to shape, dress, or trim with an ax

b : to chop, split, or sever with an ax

2

: to remove abruptly (as from employment or from a budget)

Variants of AX

ax or axe

Examples of AX

1. The boss told him that he had been axed.
2. <the boss will ax anyone who leaks company secrets>

First Known Use of AX

1677

Related to AX

Synonyms

dismiss (or axe), bounce, can, cashier, discharge, fire, muster out, pink-slip, release, remove, retire, sack, terminate, turn off

Antonyms

employ, engage, hire, retain, sign (up or on), take on

Related Words

downsize, excess, furlough, lay off, trim; boot (out), chuck (out), drum (out), kick out, throw out, unseat; separate

Near Antonyms

keep; reemploy, rehire; contract, subcontract; recruit

³ax

abbreviation

Definition of AX

1

axiom

2

axis

Other Logic Terms

a posteriori, connotation, corollary, inference, mutually exclusive, paradox, postulate, syllogism

Ax

biographical name \ˈaks\

Definition of AX

Emanuel 1949–     Am. (Ukrainian-born of Polish parents) pianist

ax

abbreviation    (Medical Dictionary)

Medical Definition of AX

axis

ax

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Hand tool used for chopping, splitting, chipping, and piercing. Stone Age hand axes originated in simple stone implements that acquired wooden hafts, or handles, about 30,000 BC. Copper-bladed axes appeared in Egypt about 4000 BC and were followed by axes with blades of bronze and eventually iron. The development of the iron-bladed felling ax in the Middle Ages made possible the vast forest clearances of Europe, North and South America, and elsewhere. Though the ax has lost much of its historic role to powered saws and other machinery, it remains a widely used tool with many uses.