ax
UK: æks | US: æks
n. a tool with a heavy bladed head mounted across a handle, used for chopping or splitting wood
vt. to cut or terminate abruptly (e.g., "to ax a project")
The word "ax" (also spelled "axe") traces back to Old English æx, derived from Proto-Germanic akusī. Its roots extend further to the Proto-Indo-European h₂egʷs-ih₂-, meaning "edge" or "sharpness." The tool's name has remained remarkably consistent across Germanic languages (e.g., German Axt, Dutch bijl). The verb form ("to ax") emerged metaphorically in the 1920s, reflecting the abrupt action of chopping.
He swung the ax to split the log.
The company decided to ax the underperforming department.
Stone Age humans crafted axes from flint.
She sharpened the ax before starting work.
The mayor’s budget proposal axes funding for public parks.