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What is the difference between fell and axe?

fell | axe |

As verbs the difference between fell and axe

is that fell is to make something fall; especially to chop down a tree or fell can be (fall) or fell can be (sewing) to stitch down a protruding flap of fabric, as a seam allowance, or pleat 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) (ask).

As nouns the difference between fell and axe

is that fell is that portion of a kilt, from the waist to the seat, where the pleats are stitched down or fell can be (archaic|except|uk) a rocky ridge or chain of mountains or fell can be the finer portions of ore which go through the meshes when the ore is sorted by sifting 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 a adjective fell

is of a strong and cruel nature; eagre and unsparing; grim; fierce; ruthless; savage.

As a adverb fell

is sharply; fiercely.

fell

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) fellen, from (etyl) fellan, .

Verb

(en verb)
  • To make something fall; especially to chop down a tree.
  • * Shakespeare
    • Stand, or I'll fell thee down.
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2011 , date=October 2 , author=Aled Williams , title=Swansea 2 - 0 Stoke , work=BBC Sport Wales citation , page= , passage=Sinclair opened Swansea's account from the spot on 8 minutes after a Ryan Shawcross tackle had felled Wayne Routledge.}}
  • To strike down, kill, destroy.
  • :* {{quote-book
    • , year=1922 , year_published=2010 , edition=HTML , editor= , author=Edgar Rice Burroughs , title=The Chessmen of Mars , chapter= citation , genre= , publisher=The Gutenberg Project , isbn= , page= , passage=Gahan, horrified, saw the latter's head topple from its body, saw the body stagger and fall to the ground. ... The creature that had felled' its companion was dashing madly in the direction of the hill upon which he was hidden, it dodged one of the workers that sought to seize it. … Then it was that Gahan's eyes chanced to return to the figure of the creature the fugitive had ' felled . }}
  • :* {{quote-web
    • , date=2010-09-27 , year= , first= , last= , author=Christina Passariello , authorlink= , title=Prodos Capital, Samsung Make Final Cut for Ferré , site=Wall Street Journal citation , archiveorg= , accessdate=2012-08-26 , passage=… could make Ferré the first major fashion label felled by the economic crisis to come out the other end of restructuring. }}

    Verb

    (head)
  • (fall)

    • Etymology 2

    (etyl) 'skin', Russian plená'' 'pelt', (etyl) plah 'to cover', Ancient Greek ''péllas 'skin').

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • That portion of a kilt, from the waist to the seat, where the pleats are stitched down.
  • An animal skin, hide.
  • * Shakespeare:
    • We are still handling our ewes, and their fells , you know, are greasy.
  • (textiles) The end of a web, formed by the last thread of the weft.

    • Verb

    (en verb)
  • (sewing) To stitch down a protruding flap of fabric, as a seam allowance, or pleat.
  • * 2006, Colette Wolff, The Art of Manipulating Fabric , page 296:
    • To fell seam allowances, catch the lining underneath before emerging 1/4" (6mm) ahead, and 1/8" (3mm) to 1/4" (6mm) into the seam allowance.
    (wikipedia fell)

    Etymology 3

    From (etyl) fell, . Compare (m).

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A rocky ridge or chain of mountains.
  • * 1937 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit
    • The dwarves of yore made mighty spells,
    While hammers fell like ringing bells,
    In places deep, where dark things sleep,
    In hollow halls beneath the fells.
  • * {{quote-book
    • , year=1886 , author=Amelia Edith Huddleston Barr , title=The Squire of Sandal-Side : A Pastoral Romance , work= citation , page= , passage=Every now and then the sea calls some farmer or shepherd, and the restless drop in his veins gives him no peace till he has found his way over the hills and fells to the port of Whitehaven, and gone back to the cradling bosom that rocked his ancestors.}}
  • * 1971 Catherine Cookson, The Dwelling Place
    • She didn't know at first why she stepped off the road and climbed the bank on to the fells; it wasn't until she found herself skirting a disused quarry that she realised where she was making for, and when she reached the place she stood and gazed at it. It was a hollow within an outcrop of rock, not large enough to call a cave but deep enough to shelter eight people from the rain, and with room to spare.
  • A wild field or upland moor.

    • Etymology 4

    From (etyl) fel, . See felon.

    Adjective

    (er)
  • Of a strong and cruel nature; eagre and unsparing; grim; fierce; ruthless; savage.
  • * (William Shakespeare) (1564-1616)
    • while we devise fell tortures for thy faults
  • * 1663 , (Hudibras) , by , part 1,
    • And many a serpent of fell kind, / With wings before, and stings behind
  • *{{quote-book, year=1892, author=(James Yoxall)
    • , chapter=5, title= The Lonely Pyramid , passage=The desert storm was riding in its strength; the travellers lay beneath the mastery of the fell simoom. Whirling wreaths and columns of burning wind, rushed around and over them.}}
  • *
  • Strong and fiery; biting; keen; sharp; pungent; clever.
  • (label) Eager; earnest; intent.
  • * (Samuel Pepys) (1633-1703)
    • I am so fell to my business.

    Adverb

    (en adverb)
  • Sharply; fiercely.
    • Derived terms
    * (l)

    Noun

    (-)
  • Gall; anger; melancholy.
  • * Spenser:
    • Untroubled of vile fear or bitter fell .
  • * XIX c. ,
    • I wake and feel the fell of dark, not day.

    Statistics

    *

    Etymology 5

    Noun

  • (mining) The finer portions of ore which go through the meshes when the ore is sorted by sifting.
    • English causative verbs English irregular simple past forms ----

    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 ----