Forms: 1 acas, äx, eax, 2 æx, 3 eax, (echze), 5 ex(e, (6 Sc. aix), 2– ax, 5– axe; Pl. axes. [Common Teutonic: OE. æx (acs), str. fem. for earlier *aces, *acus, Northumb. acas, cogn. with OS. akus (MDu. akes, Du. aaks), OHG. acchus (MHG. ackes, mod.G. ax, axt), ON. öx (gen. axar), Goth. aqizi; akin to Gr. ἀξίνη, and prob. to L. ascia. The spelling ax is better on every ground, of etymology, phonology, and analogy, than axe, which has of late become prevalent.]
1. A tool or instrument for hewing, cleaving, or chopping, trees, wood, ice, etc.; consisting of a squarish head, now usually of iron with a steel edge or blade, fixed by means of a socket upon a handle or helve of wood, so as to be wielded with force in striking. Also called, especially when of smaller or lighter make, a hatchet.
In ancient times axes were also made of bronze or stone (see 4), and might have the head and handle in one piece, as coal-axes and other special forms still have.
c. 1000. Ags. Gosp., Matt. iii. 10. Eallunga ys seo æx to þæra treowa wurtrumum asett. [Lindisf. Acas, Rushw. axe].
c. 1160. Hatton G., ibid. Syo æx.
a. 1230. Ancr. R., 128. Aȝein þe cul of þer eax. Ibid., 98 (C.). Wudemonnes echze.
a. 1250. Owl & Night., 658. Hong up thin ax.
1297. R. Glouc., 490. A kene ax him sulf he huld.
1382. Wyclif, Isa. x. 15. Whether shal glorien the ax aȝen hym that hewith with it.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XVII. clxii. (1495), 709. Cloue with an axe other wyth a sawe.
a. 1550. Christis Kirk Gr., xxiii. Dik with ane aix Cam furth to fell a fuddir.
1611. Bible, Judg. ix. 48. Abimelech tooke an axe … and cut downe a bough.
1799. J. Robertson, Agric. Perth., 239. The bark was never allowed to be taken off below the ax, or the place where the tree was cut.
1860. Tyndall, Glac., I. § 11. 79. Driving the iron claws of our boots into the scars [in the ice] made by the axe.
1877. Bryant, Song of Sower, iv. Whose sounding axes gleam Beside the lonely forest-stream.
1884. Scotsman, 4 July, 5/1. The silver axe … recently presented to Mr. Gladstone by ‘a few admiring friends.’
b. BRICK-AX, HAMMER-AX, PICK-AX, q.v.
2. In olden warfare: A battle-ax.
c. 1205. Lay., 2263. He ladde on his exle ane muchele wi-eax.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, XII. 20. [Bruce] raid … with ane ax in hande.
a. 1400. Cov. Myst. (1841), 270. With exys, gleyvis, and swerdys bryth.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, V. 1588. Armurers and arowsmythes with axes of werre.
1725. Pope, Odyss., III. 561. The ax was held by warlike Thrasymed.
1774. Johnson, West. Isl., Wks. X. 457. The Lochaber ax is only a slight alteration of the old English bill.
1869. Freeman, Norm. Conq. (1874), III. xv. 463. The iron mace of the Bastard, the one weapon fit to meet … with the two-handed axe of Harold.
1874. Boutell, Arms & Arm., vi. 91.
3. The headsman’s ax used to decapitate condemned traitors. Hence fig. execution.
1450. W. Somner, in Four C. Eng. Lett., 4. Ther was an exe, and a stoke, and oon of the lewdeste of the shippe badde him ley down his hedde.
1551. Edw. VI., Lit. Rem. (1858), II. 374. And so departed without the ax of the Toure.
1603. Shaks., Meas. for M., IV. ii. 56. You sirrah, prouide your blocke and your Axe.
1719. Young, Revenge, IV. i. A third … Gave to the cruel ax a darling son.
1752. Hume, Ess. & Treat. (1777), II. 96. From the operation of the ax or wheel.
4. In Archæology (see quot.).
1851. D. Wilson, Preh. Ann. (1863), I. vi. 192. The name of axe is applied to the double-edged stone implements, and to those of a wedge shape, which have the aperture for inserting the handle near the broad end.
1877. Greenwell, Brit. Barrows, 136. A small polished green-stone axe.
5. phrases. a. To put the ax in the helve: to solve a doubt, to find out a puzzle. To send the ax after the helve (= the better To send the helve after the hatchet). To have axes to grind (U.S. politics): to have private ends to serve. [In reference to a story told by Franklin.]
c. 1450. Lonelich, Grail, xxviii. 410. Ȝit cowde he not putten the ex in þe helve.
1547. J. Heywood, Prov. & Epigr. (1867), 80. Here I sende thaxe after the helue awaie.
1815. C. Miner, Who’ll turn Grindstones? in Ess. fr. Desk Poor Robert, 4. When I see a merchant, over polite to his customers … thinks I—That man has an axe to grind.
1865. Holland, Plain T., v. 188. Little cliques and cabals composed of men who have axes to grind.
1881. Daily Tel., 8 June, 5/2. The hands … that ‘grind the axe,’ and that ‘pull the strings.’
6. Comb. a. attrib., as ax-edge, -handle, -head, -shaft; AX-MAN, AX-STONE, AX-FITCH, -SEED, -WORT, q.v. b. Also ax-form, -like, -shaped, etc.
1865. Lubbock, Preh. Times, 132. In some places these horn axe-handles are numerous.
1611. Bible, 2 Kings vi. 5. The axe head [Coverd. the yron] fell into the water.
1851. D. Wilson, Preh. Ann. (1863), I. vi. 184. Stone celts—and axe heads—made of hard greenstone.
1815. Scott, Ld. Isles, VI. xv. The axe-shaft, with its brazen clasp.
1847. Tennyson, Princess, II. 186. An iron will, An axe-like edge unturnable.
