Knife vs Axe - What's the difference?
knife | axe |
A utensil or a tool designed for cutting, consisting of a flat piece of hard material, usually steel or other metal (the blade), usually sharpened on one edge, attached to a handle. The blade may be pointed for piercing.
* 2007 , Scott Smith, The Ruins , page 273
A weapon designed with the aforementioned specifications intended for slashing and/or stabbing and too short to be called a sword. A dagger.
Any blade-like part in a tool or a machine designed for cutting, such as the knives for a chipper.
To cut with a knife .
To use a knife' to injure or kill by stabbing, slashing, or otherwise using the sharp edge of the ' knife as a weapon.
To cut through as if with a knife .
To betray, especially in the context of a political slate.
To positively ignore, especially in order to denigrate. compare cut
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.
* 1975 , (Bob Dylan), (Tangled Up in Blue)
(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”.
To fell or chop with an axe.
To terminate or reduce tremendously in a rough or ruthless manner.
To lay off: to terminate a person's employment
To furnish with an axle.
(obsolete, or, dialectal)
* 1395 , John Wycliffe, trans. Bible , 1 Corinthis 14:35:
* 1526 , William Tyndale, trans. Bible , Luke IIi:
As nouns the difference between knife and axe
is that knife is a utensil or a tool designed for cutting, consisting of a flat piece of hard material, usually steel or other metal (the blade), usually sharpened on one edge, attached to a handle the blade may be pointed for piercing 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 or axe can be (archaic) the axle of a wheel.As verbs the difference between knife and axe
is that knife is to cut with a knife while axe is to fell or chop with an axe or axe can be to furnish with an axle or axe can be (obsolete|or|dialectal).knife
English
Noun
(knives)- Jeff was bent low over the backboard, working with the knife , a steady sawing motion, his shirt soaked through with sweat.
Derived terms
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *See also
* athame * bayonet * bistoury * cake slice, cake-slice * dagger * poniard * scalpel * stiletto * (wikipedia "knife")Verb
(knif)axe
English
Etymology 1
From (etyl), from (etyl) , and also (etyl) (m).Alternative forms
* ax (largely US)Noun
(en noun)- His girlfriend/boss/schoolmaster gave him the axe .
- 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.
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, bootDerived terms
* have an axe to grind * battle axe * axemanSee also
* adze * hatchet * twibillVerb
(ax)- The government announced its plans to axe public spending.
- The broadcaster axed the series because far less people than expected watched it.
- He got axed in the last round of firings.
Synonyms
* (lay off) fire, lay off, downsizeEtymology 2
Alternative forms
* (US)Verb
(ax)Etymology 3
Verb
(ax)- 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.
- And the people axed hym, sayinge: What shall we do then.