ax

I. noun or axe Etymology: Middle English, from Old English æcs; akin to Old High German ackus ax, Latin ascia, Greek axinē Date: before 12th century 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 or spalling stone 3. abrupt removal (as from employment or from a budget) — sometimes used in the phrase get the ax 4. a musical instrument (as a guitar or a saxophone) II. transitive verb or axe (axed; axing) Date: 1677 1. a. to shape, dress, or trim with an ax b. to chop, split, or sever with an ax 2. to remove abruptly (as from employment or from a budget) III. abbreviation 1. axiom 2. axis