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   axe

   /aks/

   noun

   • 1. a tool used for chopping wood, typically of iron with a steel edge and wooden handle: "I started swinging the axe at the lumps of driftwood"
   • ▪ a measure intended to reduce costs drastically, especially one involving redundancies: "thirty staff are facing the axe at the Royal Infirmary"
   • 2. a musical instrument used in popular music or jazz, especially a guitar or (originally) a saxophone. informal

   verb

   • 1. end, cancel, or dismiss suddenly and ruthlessly: "the company is axing 125 jobs" Similar cancelwithdrawdropabandonendterminateput an end todiscontinueinformal:scrapcutjunkditchdumpgive something the choppull the plug onknock something on the headdismissgive someone noticethrow outget rid oflay offlet godischargemake redundantinformal:sackfirekick outboot outgive someone the sackgive someone the bootgive someone the bulletgive someone the (old) heave-hogive someone the pushgive someone their marching ordersshow someone the doorgive someone the elbowgive someone their cards
   • ▪ reduce (costs or services) drastically: "the Chancellor warned the cabinet to axe public spending"
   • 2. cut or strike with an axe, especially violently or destructively: "the mahogany panelling had been axed"

   Word Origin Old Englishæx, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch aaks and German Axt.

   Scrabble Points: 10

   • A

     1

   • X

     8

   • E

     1

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