hand ax
noun
1
: a short-handled ax intended for use with one hand
2
: a prehistoric stone tool having one end pointed for cutting and the other end rounded for holding in the hand
Examples of hand ax in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
An iconic example of this is the hand ax, which is a core that’s been flaked into a teardrop shape.
—
John K. Murray, The Conversation, 7 May 2025
The hand ax emerged during a shift in early human innovation about 1.7 million years ago in a time called the Acheulean age that lasted until about 150,000 years ago.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 5 Mar. 2025
Witten has lent the hand ax to the Worthing Museum, where it will be displayed until February.
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Dec. 2024
The Neanderthal tools found at the site include a hand ax and small flint tools known as scrapers.
—Joshua Hawkins, BGR, 21 Dec. 2021
Archaeological scientist Ellery Frahm holds an obsidian hand ax unearthed in Armenia.
—Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, 12 Apr. 2019
Our early ancestors apparently knapped the same style of handheld, multipurpose hand ax for 1.6 million years, with only minor tweaks to the template.
—Heather Pringle, Scientific American, 1 Oct. 2016
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John K. Murray, The Conversation, 7 May 2025
The hand ax emerged during a shift in early human innovation about 1.7 million years ago in a time called the Acheulean age that lasted until about 150,000 years ago.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 5 Mar. 2025
Witten has lent the hand ax to the Worthing Museum, where it will be displayed until February.
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Dec. 2024
The Neanderthal tools found at the site include a hand ax and small flint tools known as scrapers.
—Joshua Hawkins, BGR, 21 Dec. 2021
Archaeological scientist Ellery Frahm holds an obsidian hand ax unearthed in Armenia.
—Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, 12 Apr. 2019
Our early ancestors apparently knapped the same style of handheld, multipurpose hand ax for 1.6 million years, with only minor tweaks to the template.
—Heather Pringle, Scientific American, 1 Oct. 2016
Cite this Entry
“Hand ax.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hand%20ax. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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