axe

1 of 2

noun

variants or ax
plural axes
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)

axe

2 of 2

verb

variants or ax
axed; axing; axes

transitive verb

1
a
: to shape, dress (see dress entry 1 sense 6e), or trim with an axe
axe stone
b
: to chop, split, or sever with an axe
axe 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.
Phrases
axe to grind
: an ulterior often selfish underlying purpose
claims that he has no axe to grind in criticizing the proposed law

Examples of axe in a Sentence

Noun the company was hemorrhaging money, so 700 employees would soon be given the ax Verb The boss told him that he had been axed. the boss will ax anyone who leaks company secrets
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Oliver raises the axe high in the air, shattering a chandelier. Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 18 Oct. 2024 The killer or killers lifted the axe so high for the initial blow that a piece of the ceiling was impacted, according to the magazine. Sean Neumann, People.com, 13 Oct. 2024 And in May, a 14-year-old girl from Montenegro was arrested for plotting an attack in Austria, which was allegedly ISIS-inspired, with a knife and axe already purchased. Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, 25 July 2024 The Bates Motel Attractions: 25-minute haunted hayride; escape rooms; axe throwing; and the Revenge of the Scarecrows Haunted Corn Trail that features animatronic monsters. Isaac Avilucea, Axios, 4 Oct. 2024 But Marcus has more than just an axe to grind with generative AI. Kate Irwin, PCMAG, 17 Sep. 2024 In welcome news after facing the axe at the 2026 Asian Games, cricket is set to be a late inclusion in the sports programme for next year's Southeast Asian Games in Thailand. Tristan Lavalette, Forbes, 25 Sep. 2024 Mini-escape experiences and axe throwing for purchase inside midway. Luann Gibbs, The Enquirer, 12 Sep. 2024 Excursions to go horseback riding, try axe throwing and archery, or go fishing are all easy to plan as well. Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 6 Sep. 2024
Verb
That show was well-rated and a petition was launched to save it when it was axed. Max Goldbart, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2024 Tavares had previously maintained that the group’s 14 brands, including Maserati, Fiat, Peugeot and Jeep were all assets to Stellantis’ portfolio, but in July said poor performers could be axed to cut costs. Reuters, CNN, 10 Oct. 2024 Nipper responded in February with a turnaround plan that axed the company’s dividend, laid off staff and cut its plans to grow this decade. Eleanor Pringle, Fortune Europe, 8 Oct. 2024 Netflix has swung the proverbial axed on spin-off sitcom That ’90s Show, which was a sequel from Fox’s long-running That ’70s Show set in the mid-1990s. Marc Berman, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2024 The largest share of cancellations were coming out of North Carolina’s Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT), which axed 140 outgoing flights. Alison Fox, Travel + Leisure, 27 Sep. 2024 The form was finally axed in 2017, although many one-off events still require a Temporary Events Notice. Mark Sutherland, Variety, 7 Oct. 2024 That report included information on how the company, then called Twitter, enforced its rules, responded to government requests for information, legal demands to axe content, copyright and trademark notices, and other details. William Gavin, Quartz, 25 Sep. 2024 Shares in Phoenix Group dropped on Monday as the financial services giant axed plans to sell its SunLife division. Royston Wild, Forbes, 16 Sep. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'axe.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

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

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1674, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of axe was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near axe

Cite this Entry

“Axe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/axe. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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