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 (see 1dress 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 ax. Trump quickly gave him the ax [=fired him] for his incompetence. — Laura Petreccab : 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 to grind
: an ulterior often selfish underlying purpose claims that he has no ax to grind in criticizing the proposed law
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Examples of ax in a Sentence
the company was hemorrhaging money, so 700 employees would soon be given the ax
Origin and Etymology of ax
Middle English, from Old English æcs; akin to Old High German ackus ax, Latin ascia, Greek axinē
ax
axe
Definition of ax
axed
;axing
transitive verb
1a : to shape, dress (see 1dress 6e), or trim with an ax ax stoneb : to chop, split, or sever with an ax ax branches from a tree
2 informal : to remove abruptly (as from employment or from a budget) The TV program was axed from the new schedule.
Examples of ax in a Sentence
The boss told him that he had been axed.
the boss will ax anyone who leaks company secrets
Origin and Etymology of ax
see 1ax
ax
Definition of ax
1 axiom
2 axis
Other Logic Terms
Ax
playDefinition of Ax
Emanuel 1949– American (Ukrainian-born of Polish parents) pianist
AX Defined for English Language Learners
ax
playDefinition of ax for English Language Learners
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: a tool that has a heavy metal blade and a long handle and that is used for chopping wood
ax
Definition of ax for English Language Learners
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: to cut or remove (something)
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: to fire (someone)
AX Defined for Kids
ax
playaxe
\ˈaks\Definition of ax for Students
: a tool that has a heavy head with a sharp edge fixed to a handle and is used for chopping and splitting wood
Medical Dictionary
ax
Medical Definition of ax
axis
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See words that rhyme with ax Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for ax Spanish Central: Translation of ax Nglish: Translation of ax for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of ax for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ax
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