Definition of axe - Reverso English Dictionary
Verb
1.
cuttingchop using a heavy bladed tool
- He axed the tree down in minutes.
2.
terminationend or reduce something suddenly
- The company axed 200 jobs last week.
Noun
1.
cutting tooltool with a heavy bladed head mounted across a handle
- He chopped the firewood with a sharp axe..
2.
businessUK drastic reduction or cutbackUK
- The project faced the axe due to budget cuts.
3.
employmentUK dismissal or rejection, often from a jobUK
- She got the axe after the company downsized.
4.
historyDated ancient weapon with a bladed head and handleDated
- The warrior wielded an axe in battle.
5.
- He played his axe at the concert.
Images of axe

tool with a heavy bladed head mounted across a handle 
ancient weapon with a bladed head and handle
Expressions with axe
💡 Discover popular phrases, idioms, collocations, or phrasal verbs. Click any expression to learn more, listen to its pronunciation, or save it to your favorites.
personal motivation or selfish reason for saying or doing something
He has an axe to grind with the committee after being overlooked last year..
be at risk of being fired
Many employees may face the axe due to budget cuts.
be dismissed from a job
After the budget cuts, many employees got the axe.
fire someone from their job
The manager decided to give the axe to three employees.
drastically reduce or eliminate something
The company had to take an axe to its budget.
at the moment a big or bad event happens
We will see who stays when the axe falls.
at the moment a critical event happens
Everyone was silent when the axe fell.
part of an axe held by the user
He replaced the broken axe handle.
activity of throwing axes for fun
We went axe throwing for John's birthday party.
small axe made for throwing, often used in sports
He practiced with a throwing axe at the range.
small axe held in one hand for chopping
He used a hand axe to split the kindling for the fire..
cutting metal part of an axe
The axe head was sharp and ready for chopping.
killing someone using an axe
The detective investigated the gruesome axe-murder.
axe used for breaking through doors or windows in emergencies
The firefighter used the fire axe to break the door during the rescue operation.
tool made of stone for cutting
The archaeologist found a stone axe at the site.
forceful person or action lacking precision
The manager's approach was like a meat axe, cutting through red tape.
something extremely hard to cut or break
The old oak was a real axe-breaker for the lumberjacks.
formidable older woman, often considered aggressive
She was known as the office battle-axe for her strict demeanor..
weapon with a hammer and an axe on opposite sides
The warrior wielded a hammer-axe in battle.
tool combining an axe and a hammer
The carpenter used an axe-hammer to shape the wood.
climbing tool with a pick and adze
The ice axe helped him secure his position.
heavy hammer used for breaking rocks
He swung the break-axe, shattering the boulder into smaller pieces..
Origin of axe
Old English, æx (cutting tool)
Terms with axe included in their meaning
💡 A powerful way to uncover related words, idioms, and expressions linked by the same idea — and explore meaning beyond exact word matches.
severing
sever with an axe or similar tool
work
blow with an axe or similar tool
tool
small axe with a short handle
Native American axe
small axe used by Native Americans
tools
cut or chop with an axe or other tool
weapon
fighting axe used by North American Indians
hand blade
tool like a small axe for cutting slate
cutting
strike or split using a small throwing axe
historical climbing
early ice axe with iron tip and sometimes pick
violence
an attack or assault using an axe
weapon
large axe used in historical battles
shape
shaped like an axe or hatchet head
weaponry
long pole weapon with an axe blade and spike
weapons
pole weapon with axe blade and spike
tools
handle of an axe or similar tool
woodworking
cut or shaped with an axe or similar tool
craft
cutting or shaping with an axe
climbing tool
mountaineering axe used for climbing and securing safety
weaponry
type of medieval weapon combining an axe and a hammer
combat
strike down an opponent using a long-handled axe
tool
part of an axe held by the user
weapon sports
small axe made for throwing, often used in sports
tool
small axe held in one hand for chopping
tool
cutting metal part of an axe
Examples of axe in a sentence
They axed the old shed for renovation. The TV show was axed after just one season. Due to budget cuts, the project was axed immediately. The lumberjack's axe was well-worn from years of use. She bought a new axe for the camping trip. The company announced the axe of 200 jobs.
Many programs faced the axe in the new policy. The project faced the axe due to budget cuts. Rumors spread about the axe falling on several departments. The museum displayed an ancient axe from the Bronze Age. He found an old axe while digging in the garden. The jazz musician polished his axe before the gig. He bought a new axe to improve his sound.
View all translations of axe
Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
- French:abattre, hache, ...
- German:fällen, Axt, ...
- Italian:abbattere, accetta, ...
- Spanish:talar, hacha, ...
- Portuguese:cortar, machado, ...
- Chinese:砍, 斧头, ...
- Japanese:斧で切る, 斧, ...
- Arabic:قطع بالفأس, فَأْس, ...
- Hebrew:לִכְרוֹת, גַּרְזֶן, ...
- Russian:рубить, топор, ...
- Ukrainian:рубати, сокира, ...
- Hindi:कुल्हाड़ी से काटना, कुल्हाड़ी, ...
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