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Axe vs Sax - What's the difference?

axe | sax |

As nouns the difference between axe and sax

is that 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 while sax is a knife; a sword; a dagger about 20 inches in length.

As verbs the difference between axe and sax

is that axe is to fell or chop with an axe while sax is to cut or slash with a sharp instrument; incise; scarify.

As an abbreviation SAX is

Simple API for XML

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 ----

    sax

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) sax, sex, from (etyl) . See also (l), (l).

    Noun

    (saxes)
  • (rare, or, obsolete) A knife; a sword; a dagger about 20 inches in length.
  • A slate-cutter's hammer; slate-ax.
    • Related terms
    * (l) * (l)

    Verb

    (es)
  • To cut or slash with a sharp instrument; incise; scarify.

    • Etymology 2

    From saxophone.

    Noun

    (saxes)
  • Short form of saxophone.

    • Anagrams

    * ----