( US also ax )
■ noun
1》 a heavy-bladed tool used for chopping wood.
2》 ( the ~ ) cost-cutting action, especially redundancy: thirty staff are facing the ~.
3》 informal a guitar or (in jazz) a saxophone.
■ verb
1》 dismiss or cancel suddenly and ruthlessly.
2》 cut or strike with an ~.
Phrases
have an ~ to grind have a private reason for doing something.
Origin
OE æx , of Gmc origin.