ax

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. (informal) · His girlfriend/boss/schoolmaster gave him the axe.
4. A drastic reduction or cutback. (figuratively) · the Beeching Axe· The tractor plant is slated for the axe.
5. A gigging musician's particular instrument, especially a guitar in rock music or a saxophone in jazz. (slang)
6. A position, interest, or reason in buying and selling stock, often with ulterior motives. · A financial dealer has an axe in a stock that his buyers don't know about, giving him an advantage in making the most profit.

Plural axes