What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Ask vs Axe - What's the difference?

ask | axe |

As verbs the difference between ask and axe

is that ask is to request (information, or an answer to a question) while axe is to fell or chop with an axe.

As nouns the difference between ask and axe

is that ask is an act or instance of asking while axe is 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.

As a proper noun Ask

is the first male human, according to the Poetic Edda.

ask

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) asken, from (etyl) .

Verb

(en verb)
  • To request (information, or an answer to a question).
    • I asked her age.
  • To put forward (a question) to be answered.
    • to ask a question
  • To interrogate or enquire of (a person).
    • I'm going to ask this lady for directions.
  • * Bible, John ix. 21
    • He is of age; ask him: he shall speak for himself.
  • To request or petition; usually with for .
    • to ask for a second helping at dinner
    to ask for help with homework
  • * Bible, Matthew vii. 7
    • Ask , and it shall be given you.
  • To require, demand, claim, or expect, whether by way of remuneration or return, or as a matter of necessity.
    • What price are you asking for the house?
  • * Addison
    • An exigence of state asks a much longer time to conduct a design to maturity.
  • To invite.
    • Don't ask them to the wedding.
  • To publish in church for marriage; said of both the banns and the persons.
    • (Fuller)
  • (figuratively) To take (a person's situation) as an example.
  • *
    • Usage notes
    * This is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive . See * Pronouncing ask as /æks/ is a common example of metathesis and a feature of some varieties of English, notably African American Vernacular English (AAVE). * The action expressed by the verb ask'' can also be expressed by the noun-verb combination ''pose a question'' (confer the parallel in German between ''fragen'' and ''eine Frage stellen ).
    Derived terms
    * ask after * ask around * ask for * ask in * ask out * ask over * ask round * for the asking * no questions asked * outask

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An act or instance of asking.
  • * 2005 , Laura Fredricks, The ask :
    • To ask for a gift is a privilege, a wonderful expression of commitment to and ownership of the organization. Getting a yes to an ask can be a rush, but asking for the gift can and should be just as rewarding.
  • Something asked or asked for; a request.
  • * 2008 , Doug Fields, Duffy Robbins, Speaking to Teenagers :
    • Communication researchers call this the foot-in-the-door syndrome. Essentially it's based on the observation that people who respond positively to a small “ask'” are more likely to respond to a bigger “' ask ” later on.
  • An asking price.

    • Etymology 2

    From (etyl) aske, arske, from (etyl) .

    Alternative forms

    *

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An eft; newt.
  • * 1876 , S. Smiles, Scottish Naturalist :
    • He looked at the beast. It was not an eel. It was very like an ask .
  • A lizard.

    • Statistics

    *

    Anagrams

    * English control verbs English reporting verbs 1000 English basic words ----

    axe

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl), from (etyl) , and also (etyl) (m).

    Alternative forms

    * ax (largely US)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • 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.
  • An ancient weapon consisting of a head that has one or two blades and a long handle.
  • (informal) A dismissal or rejection.
    • His girlfriend/boss/schoolmaster gave him the axe .
  • * 1975 , (Bob Dylan), (Tangled Up in Blue)
    • I had a job in the great North Woods
    Workin' as a cook for a spell.
    But I never did like it all that much
    And one day the axe just fell.
  • (slang, music) A gigging musician's particular instrument, especially a guitar in rock music or a saxophone in jazz.
  • (finance) A directional position or interest, by a dealer in a financial market – if one wishes to unload stock, one is “axed to sell” or “has an axe”. Shedding the correlation ‘axe’, Risk magazine Derived from “have an axe to grind”, which is also used.
    • Usage notes
    In the United States, this spelling is often used to distinguish the weapon from the tool, though some simply don't use the "ax" spelling at all, and only use "axe".
    Synonyms
    * chop, pink slip, sack, boot
    Derived terms
    * have an axe to grind * battle axe * axeman
    See also
    * adze * hatchet * twibill

    Verb

    (ax)
  • To fell or chop with an axe.
  • To terminate or reduce tremendously in a rough or ruthless manner.
    • The government announced its plans to axe public spending.
    The broadcaster axed the series because far less people than expected watched it.
  • To lay off: to terminate a person's employment
    • He got axed in the last round of firings.
    Synonyms
    * (lay off) fire, lay off, downsize

    Etymology 2

    Alternative forms

    * (US)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (archaic) The axle of a wheel.

    • Verb

    (ax)
  • To furnish with an axle.

    • Etymology 3

    Verb

    (ax)
  • (obsolete, or, dialectal)
  • * 1395 , John Wycliffe, trans. Bible , 1 Corinthis 14:35:
    • But if thei wolen ony thing lerne, at home axe thei her hosebondis; for it is foule thing to a womman to speke in chirche.
  • * 1526 , William Tyndale, trans. Bible , Luke IIi:
    • And the people axed hym, sayinge: What shall we do then.

    References

    English terms with multiple etymologies ----