ax
gb/ˈæks/ us/ˈæks/
B1
Anglais
Sens
0 sens
Nom
B1
entity
1
tool for chopping wood
A tool used to chop wood.
Schéma d’usage :
an ax; a [type] ax; with an ax
Erreur fréquente :
In British English the usual spelling is axe; both refer to the same tool.
Synonymes
axe (More common spelling in British English.)
|
hatchet (A smaller, lighter kind of axe.)
Collocations
swing an ax
|sharpen an ax
|an ax handle
|a woodcutting ax
|chop wood with an ax
|split logs with an ax
|a sharp ax
|a dull ax
|an ax blade
|carry an ax
Thèmes
tools
|outdoors
|home_improvement
Exemples
- He grabbed an ax and started splitting the logs.
- The camping store sells axes, saws, and other tools.
- The old ax needed sharpening before it would bite into the wood.
Exemples pédagogiques
- I cut wood with an ax.
- The ax is sharp.
Verbe
informal
B2
action
2
cancel or remove something
To decide to stop something or remove it.
Schéma d’usage :
ax [something]
Erreur fréquente :
Often used for plans, projects, budgets, or features; it sounds more informal than cut or cancel.
Synonymes
cut (More general and neutral; can be less sudden.)
|
cancel (Common for events or plans; less about cost-cutting.)
|
scrap (Emphasizes abandoning an idea or plan completely.)
Antonymes
keep (Not removing or stopping something.)
|
retain (More formal than keep.)
Collocations
ax a project
|ax a program
|ax a plan
|ax a feature
|ax funding
|ax a budget
|ax a proposal
|ax a department
|ax a route
|ax a policy
Thèmes
business
|media
|work
Exemples
- The company axed the new app after poor test results.
- The studio axed the project to save money.
- They axed several features before launch.
Exemples pédagogiques
- They axed the plan.
- The show was axed.
Verbe
informal
B2
action
3
fire someone from a job
To make someone lose their job.
Schéma d’usage :
ax [someone]; get axed
Erreur fréquente :
In formal writing, prefer dismiss or terminate; ax is informal.
Synonymes
fire (Most common neutral verb in American English.)
|
dismiss (More formal; often used in writing.)
|
sack (More common in British English.)
Antonymes
hire (To give someone a job.)
|
retain (To keep someone employed.)
Collocations
ax an employee
|ax a manager
|ax staff
|ax workers
|get axed
|axed from the team
|axed without warning
|axed after a merger
|axed for poor performance
|axed during layoffs
Thèmes
work
|business
Exemples
- He was axed after the company lost a major client.
- They axed three people from the sales team.
- If the numbers don’t improve, more staff could get axed.
Exemples pédagogiques
- He got axed from his job.
Nom
slang
C1
entity
4
a guitar or instrument
A guitar (musician slang).
Schéma d’usage :
play [someone's] ax; bring [someone's] ax
Erreur fréquente :
This is slang; in general conversation, say guitar or instrument.
Synonymes
guitar (Standard word; most common meaning in this slang use.)
|
instrument (Broader and less specific.)
Collocations
play the ax
|bring your ax
|a jazz ax
|his trusty ax
|a new ax
|plug in the ax
|tune the ax
|my ax
|lead ax
|rhythm ax
Thèmes
music
|entertainment
Exemples
- He showed up with his ax and joined the jam session.
- She bought a new ax for the tour.
- The guitarist switched axes between songs.
Verbe
informal
B2
action
5
dialect form of ask
To ask (dialect).
Schéma d’usage :
ax [someone] [something]; ax if/whether
Erreur fréquente :
In standard writing, use ask; ax in this sense can be seen as nonstandard or dialectal.
Synonymes
ask (Standard form in general English.)
|
inquire (More formal than ask.)
Collocations
ax a question
|ax someone
|ax if
|ax whether
|ax for help
|ax around
|ax him
|ax her
|ax them
|ax about it
Thèmes
communication
|dialect
Exemples
- He axed if you were coming later.
- She axed me where the meeting was.
- I’m gonna ax around and see what happened.
Grammaire
Forme canonique
ax
API
GB/ˈæks/
US/ˈæks/
Syllabes et accentuation
ax (1 syllabe)
Stress on 1st syllable (ax)
Formes du mot
Noun
- Base: ax
- Plural: axes
Verb
- Base: ax
- 3rd Person Singular: axes
- Present Participle: axing
- Past: axed
Famille de mots
Expressions
an ax to grind
1/ən ˈæks tə ɡɹˈaɪnd/
idiom
a hidden selfish motive
A private reason that makes you biased.
Exemples
- He claims it’s about safety, but I think he has an ax to grind.
- Be careful with that review—she may have an ax to grind with the company.
- I don’t have an ax to grind; I just want the facts.
ax out
1/ˈæks ˈaʊt/
phrasal verb
informal
remove something completely
To remove something.
Exemples
- They axed out the last section because it was too long.
- We may need to ax out a few items from the schedule.
- The director axed out several scenes before the final cut.
ax the fat
1/ˈæks ðə fˈæt/
idiom
informal
cut unnecessary costs or parts
To cut unnecessary things to save money or time.
Exemples
- The new CEO promised to ax the fat and focus on core products.
- They axed the fat from the budget by renegotiating contracts.
- We need to ax the fat from this process—it’s wasting time.
get the ax
1/ɡˈɛt ðə ˈæks/
idiom
informal
be fired from a job
To lose your job because you are fired.
Exemples
- If sales don’t improve, a lot of people could get the ax.
- After the merger, several managers got the ax.
- He worried he’d get the ax after missing the deadline.
give someone the ax
1/ɡˈɪv sˈʌmwˌʌn ðə ˈæks/
idiom
informal
fire someone from a job
To fire someone.
Exemples
- The company gave him the ax after repeated complaints.
- They gave several contractors the ax to cut costs.
- The coach gave the ax to two assistants mid-season.
take an ax to
1/tˈeɪk ən ˈæks tə/
fixed phrase
informal
damage or cut drastically
To cut or damage something a lot.
Exemples
- They took an ax to the budget and eliminated several programs.
- Someone took an ax to the front door during the break-in.
- The editor took an ax to the article and cut two pages.