ax

1 of 2

noun

variant spelling of axe entry 1, axe entry 2

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 (see dress entry 1 sense 6e) or spalling stone

3

informal

a

: removal from office or release from employment : dismissal

—usually used with the

Employees with poor evaluations got the axe.

Trump quickly gave him the ax [=fired him] for his incompetence.

—Laura Petrecca

b

: abrupt elimination or severe reduction of something

Unlimited expense accounts, signing bonuses, and office plants—all are getting the ax [=being cut or eliminated] thanks to corporate cost-cutting measures.

—Amanda Hinnant

No party was brave enough to offend its supporters by taking an axe to [=severely reducing] expenditure.

—The Economist

4

slang : any of several musical instruments (such as a guitar or a saxophone)

ax

2 of 2

abbreviation

1

axiom

2

axis

Examples of ax in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The attorney general of the UAE, Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, said the co-pilot on board the flight had attempted to seize control of the plane by attacking his colleague with a crash ax – a piece of equipment required on most aircraft. — Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 4 Oct. 2026

An official in the United Arab Emirates said on Saturday that the co-pilot, who has been identified as Hamam al-Hammami, used an emergency crash ax in an attempt to take over the plane, adding that the attack was a terrorist operation. — Isabel Kershner, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026

On Thursday, Israeli media reported that the suspect may have used an emergency ax that was already in the cockpit to carry out the attack. — Gerry Shih, Washington Post, 1 Oct. 2026

Season 4 of the horror series is a retelling of the life of Lizzie Borden, a Massachusetts woman accused of murdering her father and stepmother with an ax in the 1800s. — Yamillah Hurtado, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 2026

Rhymes for ax

• axe
• backs
• blacks
• cracks
• fax
• flax
• hacks
• jacks
• knacks
• lacks
• lakhs
• lax

Kids Definition

ax

noun

variants or axe

ˈaks

: a cutting tool that consists of a heavy edged head attached to a handle and that is used for chopping and splitting wood

Medical Definition

ax

abbreviation

axis

Biographical Definition

Ax

biographical name

ˈaks 

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