¹ax

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noun \ˈaks\

: a tool that has a heavy metal blade and a long handle and that is used for chopping wood

Full 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>

Yes, "irregardless" is a word. No, that
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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

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verb

: to cut or remove (something)

: to fire (someone)

axedax·ing

Full Definition of AX

transitive verb

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

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abbreviation

Definition of AX

1

axiom

2

axis

Other Logic Terms

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

Ax

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biographical name \ˈaks\

Definition of AX

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

ax

abbreviation    (Medical Dictionary)

Medical Definition of AX

axis