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Added 10 October 2026

ax

/æks/ noun

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about ax at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

An edge tool with a heavy bladed head mounted across a handle.

verb

Chop or split with an ax.
axe wood
Terminate.
The NSF axed the research program and stopped funding it

Origin

From Middle English axen, aksen, axien, from Old English ācsian and āxian, showing metathesis from āscian. Ax/aks was common in literary works until about 1600.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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