1 ax
(US)
noun
or
axe
/ˈæks/
plural
axes
1 ax
(US)
noun
or
axe
/ˈæks/
plural
axes
Britannica Dictionary definition of AX
[count]
ax to grind
:
a hidden and often selfish purpose for doing something.
-
He had a political ax to grind with his opponent.
-
She claims that she has no ax to grind in criticizing the proposed law.
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escape the ax
informal
:
to avoid being ended, eliminated, reduced, etc.
-
The school program escaped the ax this year. [=the school program was not cut/eliminated this year]
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get the ax
informal
:
to lose your job
:
to be fired from your job
-
The employees with less experience got the ax. [=were fired]
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give (someone) the ax
informal
:
to dismiss (someone) from a job
:
to fire (someone)
-
His boss gave him the ax.
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take the/an ax to
informal
:
to eliminate (something) or reduce (something) severely
-
Congress took an ax to the program. [=Congress severely reduced the amount of money to be given to the program]
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2 ax
verb
or
axe
/ˈæks/
axes;
axed;
axing
2 ax
verb
or
axe
/ˈæks/
axes;
axed;
axing
Britannica Dictionary definition of AX
[+ object]
informal
1
:
to cut or remove (something)
-
The television program was axed [=dropped] from the new schedule.
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2
:
to fire (someone)
-
The boss told him that he had been axed.
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