Axe
/æks/noun
A tool with a heavy bladed head, used for chopping wood or other materials.
Did you know?The word has an ancient Indo-European pedigree and appears in Old English as aesc, while the modern spelling with -x- reflects later orthographic change rather than a different origin.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₂eḱ-
“To be sharp, pointed”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*akwiz / *akus-
“A sharp implement or axe”
Old English
OE
æx
“An axe, a chopping tool”
Middle English
ME
ax
“An axe; also the verb "to ask" in some dialect spellings”
Modern English
English
axe
“A tool used for chopping or hewing”