POLEAXE

poleax, poleaxe

(noun) a battle ax used in the Middle Ages; a long handled ax and a pick

poleax, poleaxe

(noun) an ax used to slaughter cattle; has a hammer opposite the blade

poleax, poleaxe

(verb) fell with or as if with a poleax

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Noun

poleaxe (plural poleaxes)

An ax having both a blade and a hammer face; used to slaughter cattle.

(historical) A long-handled battle axe, being a combination of ax, hammer and pike.

Hypernyms

• polearm

Verb

poleaxe (third-person singular simple present poleaxes, present participle poleaxing, simple past and past participle poleaxed)

(transitive) To fell someone with, or as if with, a poleaxe.

(transitive, figurative) To astonish; to shock or surprise utterly.

Source: Wiktionary


Pole"ax`, Pole"axe`, n. Etym: [OE. pollax; cf. OD. pollexe. See Poll head, and Ax.]

Definition: Anciently, a kind of battle-ax with a long handle; later, an ax or hatchet with a short handle, and a head variously patterned; -- used by soldiers, and also by sailors in boarding a vessel.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

22 February 2025

ANALYSIS

(noun) the use of closed-class words instead of inflections: e.g., ‘the father of the bride’ instead of ‘the bride’s father’


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