# axe

> English word · Noun · IPA /æks/ · frequency rank #9,703

## Definitions
1. A tool for felling trees or chopping wood etc. consisting of a heavy head flattened to a blade on one side, and a handle attached to it.
2. An ancient weapon consisting of a head that has one or two blades and a long handle.
3. A dismissal or rejection.
4. A drastic reduction or cutback.
5. A gigging musician's particular instrument, especially a guitar in rock music or a saxophone in jazz.
6. A position, interest, or reason in buying and selling stock, often with ulterior motives.

## Etymology
From Middle English ax, axe, ex, from Old English æx (“axe”), from Proto-West Germanic *akusi (“axe”), from Proto-Germanic *akwisī (“axe”), probably from a Proto-Indo-European *h₂egʷsih₂ (“axe”), from *h₂eḱ- (“sharp, pointed”). Cognate with Scots aix (“axe”), Dutch aks (“axe”), German Axt (“axe”), Danish økse (“axe”), Faroese and Norwegian øks (“axe”), Icelandic öxi (“axe”), Swedish yxa (“axe”), Latin ascia (“axe, mason's trowel”).

## Easily confused with
- **AZ** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/axe-vs-az)
- **ay** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/axe-vs-ay)
- **aye** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/axe-vs-aye)
- **ayr** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/axe-vs-ayr)
- **Ayn** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/axe-vs-ayn)
- **aya** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/axe-vs-aya)
- **axis** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/axe-vs-axis)
- **axle** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/axe-vs-axle)
- **axes** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/axe-vs-axes)
- **axel** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/axe-vs-axel)
- **axed** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/axe-vs-axed)
- **Ayer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/axe-vs-ayer)
- **axon** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/axe-vs-axon)
- **axles** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/axe-vs-axles)
- **A** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/a-vs-axe)
- **as** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/as-vs-axe)
- **at** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/at-vs-axe)
- **an** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/an-vs-axe)
- **AM** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/am-vs-axe)
- **AL** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/al-vs-axe)

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/axe